Acclimatization of massive reef-building corals to consecutive heatwaves

Research on massive reef-building corals from the Lagoons of New Caledonia reveals that some coral species are acclimatizing to consecutive heatwaves, offering a potential resilience against rapid global warming. Analyzing skeletal cores from 14 reefs across the northern Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and New Caledonia since 1815, scientists observed an increase in thermal tolerance despite rising temperatures. While stress bands—indicative of bleaching—became more frequent post-20th century, their decline after repeated bleaching events suggests corals may adapt faster than previously assumed. This finding challenges projections of widespread coral devastation and provides a glimmer of hope for reef ecosystems under climate change.

DeCarlo, T. M., Harrison, H. B., Gajdzik, L., Alaguarda, D., Rodolfo-Metalpa, R., D’Olivo, J., Liu, G., Patalwala, D., & McCulloch, M. T. (2019). Acclimatization of massive reef-building corals to consecutive heatwaves. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286(1898), 20190235. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.0235