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Related: About this forumCorals Are Already Adapting to Global Warming, Scientists Say
http://news.utexas.edu/2015/06/25/corals-already-adapting-to-global-warming-scientists-say[font face=Serif][font size=5]Corals Are Already Adapting to Global Warming, Scientists Say[/font]
June 25, 2015
A diver surveys temperature-tolerant corals in the Great Barrier Reef. Photo by Ray Berkelmans, Australian Institute of Marine Science
[font size=3]AUSTIN, Texas Some coral populations already have genetic variants necessary to tolerate warm ocean waters, and humans can help to spread these genes, a team of scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Oregon State University has found.
The discovery has implications for many reefs now threatened by global warming and shows for the first time that mixing and matching corals from different latitudes may boost reef survival. The findings are published this week in the journal Science.
The researchers crossed corals from naturally warmer areas of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia with corals from a cooler latitude nearly 300 miles to the south. The scientists found that coral larvae with parents from the north, where waters were about 2 degrees Celsius warmer, were up to 10 times as likely to survive heat stress, compared with those with parents from the south. Using genomic tools, the researchers identified the biological processes responsible for heat tolerance and demonstrated that heat tolerance could evolve rapidly based on existing genetic variation.
"Our research found that corals do not have to wait for new mutations to appear. Averting coral extinction may start with something as simple as an exchange of coral immigrants to spread already existing genetic variants," said Mikhail Matz, an associate professor of integrative biology at The University of Texas at Austin. "Coral larvae can move across oceans naturally, but humans could also contribute, relocating adult corals to jump-start the process."
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June 25, 2015
A diver surveys temperature-tolerant corals in the Great Barrier Reef. Photo by Ray Berkelmans, Australian Institute of Marine Science
[font size=3]AUSTIN, Texas Some coral populations already have genetic variants necessary to tolerate warm ocean waters, and humans can help to spread these genes, a team of scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Oregon State University has found.
The discovery has implications for many reefs now threatened by global warming and shows for the first time that mixing and matching corals from different latitudes may boost reef survival. The findings are published this week in the journal Science.
The researchers crossed corals from naturally warmer areas of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia with corals from a cooler latitude nearly 300 miles to the south. The scientists found that coral larvae with parents from the north, where waters were about 2 degrees Celsius warmer, were up to 10 times as likely to survive heat stress, compared with those with parents from the south. Using genomic tools, the researchers identified the biological processes responsible for heat tolerance and demonstrated that heat tolerance could evolve rapidly based on existing genetic variation.
"Our research found that corals do not have to wait for new mutations to appear. Averting coral extinction may start with something as simple as an exchange of coral immigrants to spread already existing genetic variants," said Mikhail Matz, an associate professor of integrative biology at The University of Texas at Austin. "Coral larvae can move across oceans naturally, but humans could also contribute, relocating adult corals to jump-start the process."
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Corals Are Already Adapting to Global Warming, Scientists Say (Original Post)
OKIsItJustMe
Jun 2015
OP
truebrit71
(20,805 posts)1. That's fine for warmer waters, but what about more acidic waters?
I was under the impression that it was the change in the pH levels that was causing the coral to die off, no?
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)2. (See earlier posting)
RiverLover
(7,830 posts)3. Thanks for (both) awesome, hopeful news!
It gives me hope for mother nature adapting to even more seemingly hopeless damages from climate change.
Just really great news!!!
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)4. You're welcome!
The lesson seems to be, if we want to, we can help "save" the coral. If we don't eventually, the coral will save themselves.
truebrit71
(20,805 posts)5. Thanks.
Appreciate the link.
OKIsItJustMe
(19,938 posts)6. You’re welcome!
(This does not mean ocean acidification isnt a problem )