We’ve bred corals to better tolerate lethal heatwaves, but rapid climate action is still needed to save reefs
By Liam Lachs, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Climate Change Ecology and Evolution, Newcastle University
Adriana Humanes, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Coral Reef Ecology, Newcastle University, Newcastle University
James Guest, Reader in Coral Reef Ecology, Newcastle University
Our research group has bred corals able to better survive marine heatwaves. Our work, now published in Nature Communications, shows that it is possible to improve coral heat tolerance even within a single generation.
We did this using selective breeding: a technique used by humans for thousands of years to produce animals and plants with desirable characteristics. Selective breeding is how humans turned wolf-like dogs into St Bernards, chihuahuas and everything…
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Monday, October 14, 2024