Can ‘super corals’ survive climate change?
Coral bleaching is an environmental issue which has been plaguing Australia’s reefs for a long time. But there’s new hope that the reefs may withstand climate change. 20 species of ‘super corals’ have been found growing in extremely hostile conditions in New Caledonia’s mangrove habitats. These warm, acidic and low-oxygen environments are a good indication of what a post-climate change world would look like.
The discovery was made by Dr Emma Camp and her team from the UTS Climate Change Cluster, a research institute which aims to mitigate the effects of climate change on ecosystems. Emma sat down with Nic to talk about her findings and why these new species offer a glimmer of hope for the future of coral.
She will be heading off to the Great Barrier Reef in two weeks to search for the presence of super corals, in partnership with National Geographic.
