How 'super corals' can give the Great Barrier Reef a fighting chance скачать в хорошем качестве

How 'super corals' can give the Great Barrier Reef a fighting chance

The Great Barrier Reef is a feather in the cap of Australia – an amazing source of biodiversity and beauty right off our coastline. However, this fragile ecosystem is under threat from forces such as warming waters due to climate change and pollution from human activity. Researchers are tirelessly working on solutions to protect and preserve our coral reefs. One such researcher is Dr Emma Camp, who leads the Coral Nurture Program at UTS. She and her team are approaching this problem from a variety of angles to find ways to not only preserve the reef we have, but to also improve coral's ability to withstand future challenges. A recent discovery is particularly promising. While conducting research in mangrove forests along the coast, Camp and her team discovered native coral species that are more tolerant to the higher average water temperatures, and lower pH (meaning more acidic waters) and oxygen levels found in these near-shore sites. This discovery of highly tolerant coral populations, dubbed 'Super Corals', challenges our understanding of what conditions some coral populations can survive under. Camp has now dedicated her research career to studying these extreme corals to try and uncover what allows them to survive – and thrive – when reefs globally are degrading and dying. Learn more about our research and innovations here: http://www.uts.edu.au/stories Discover what UTS can be for you: http://www.uts.edu.au