Scientists Find 64,000 Square Miles of Coral Reefs That Can Survive Climate Change

Scientists have found nearly 166,000 square kilometers — about 64,000 square miles — of coral reefs that could survive climate change. That is three times more reef than experts had estimated before. The finding was announced on Tuesday and gives new hope to people working to protect the ocean.

Coral reefs are some of the most important places on Earth. They support about one quarter of all ocean life, even though they cover only a small part of the sea floor. In recent years, reefs around the world have been badly hurt by storms, pollution, and rising water temperatures that cause 'bleaching,' a process that turns corals white and can kill them.

To find the healthier reefs, scientists studied 45,000 coral surveys along with decades of climate and ocean data. They found reefs that are more resistant to damage across 71 countries and 100 territories. Some of these reefs are in parts of the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean that had not been recognized before.

Emily Darling is the director of coral conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and one of the report's authors. She said that people often think coral reefs cannot be saved. 'This research shows otherwise: we know where the hope is and what we need now is political will,' she said.

Right now, many countries are making plans to protect 30% of their land and ocean areas by the end of this decade. This goal is called '30 by 30.' The new research can help governments decide which reefs to include in those protection plans. But right now, only 28% of the healthy reefs identified in the study are inside protected areas.

Darling also warned that time is running out. She said the urgency is high, especially because a strong El Niño weather event is coming soon. El Niño can warm ocean waters even more, putting more reefs at risk. Scientists say acting quickly is key.

Stacy Jupiter, another author of the study and a leader at WCS's Global Marine Program, said the data helps governments make tough decisions about where to spend limited money. If some reefs are already too damaged to recover, she said, it might be necessary to focus help on the reefs that still have a chance. 'In certain cases, where reefs are below certain benchmarks for ecosystem function, it may be a case of triage, where we may need to leave those places,' she said.