New Coral Reef Outsmarts Climate Change

 

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GOOD NEWS! Scientists discovered a new coral reef that’s in pristine condition.

The reef, off Tahiti, appears to be untouched by climate change. The reef sprawls approximately two miles and 30 meters (about 100 feet) to 65 meters in depth. This is deeper than the coral reefs we’re most familiar with, which include the Great Barrier Reef. At this depth the symbiotic algae living within the coral tissue can still thrive with less light than found at the surface.

See how the shape of the corals resemble rose petals? Scientists say the ’floral shape petals’ provide the coral more surface area and so they receive more light. It’s a clever way to work-around the warming shallow ocean due to climate change.