New Study Finds Resilient Coral Reefs

A new study by the China Wildlife Conservation Association and Macquarie University, presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, found that approximately one-third of the world's coral reefs (166,000 square kilometers) are climate-resilient and have the potential to survive major ocean warming events. This challenges previous dire predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The research, funded by the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative, used advanced technology to map three times more resilient coral than previously known, with over half concentrated in Australia, the Bahamas, Cuba, Indonesia, and the Philippines. While offering a hopeful future, scientists like Jupiter, Kyle Zawada, Jesse Kosgei, and Clint Oakley emphasize the critical need for active protection of these reefs and significant reductions in carbon emissions to ensure their long-term survival. Local conservation efforts in Kenya, such as those on Wasini-Mkwiro island and Kisite marine park, are highlighted as successful examples.