Fatter Coral Have A Better Chance Of Survival

Editor's note-

Here is an article about coral reef surviving climate change, and not another one telling you ciimate change is happening.  

Sydney (IANS): For the first time scientists have unravelled how corals can survive or perish in the face of climatic onslaught.

An international team led by Ken Anthony of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and the University of Queensland have developed a technique to assess the chances of corals surviving a bleaching crisis.

Bleaching is caused when warm water circulates over the reef, causing them to shed the symbiotic algae they normally rely on for energy. If they cannot recover their algae in time, the corals starve to death.

“It mostly comes down to how well-fed the corals are before the bleaching event strikes,” Mr. Anthony said. “If they have high levels of lipids — or fats — in their system, it gives them the energy to hang on until they can re-establish their symbiotic relationship.”

The new technique offers scientists and reef managers a better understanding of the processes that can lead to high mortality rates among corals affected by bleaching — and also an explanation for why some reefs appear to bounce back quickly while others never recover.

The main factor is the amount of energy stored as fat in the coral's tissues, Anthony said. This in turn depends on the level of the food supply in the water prior to the bleaching event, how recently the corals spawned and whether or not there have been other disturbances — such as human activities, storms, low tides and competition from weeds.