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Underwater Umbrellas Could Help Protect Coral Reefs from Heat Damage
Developing
In Short: However, Neely notes that new engineering ideas could make these umbrellas suitable for larger reef areas, potentially offering broader protection.
In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, researchers present 'underwater umbrellas' designed to shade corals from excessive sunlight, which exacerbates bleaching caused by warming waters.
These crafty canopies were tested in the Caribbean, where corals are particularly vulnerable to solar radiation and heat stress. The researchers found that shaded corals suffered less bleaching.
Lead author Karen Neely, a research scientist at Nova Southeastern University, explained that these structures are ideal for smaller areas like individual high-priority corals, coral nurseries, or small outplant areas.
The algae, called zooxanthellae, give corals their bright colors and serve as their primary food source. Without these algae, corals turn white, a condition known as 'bleaching,' and begin to starve.
The researchers discovered that the shades reduced corals' light exposure by 60%, and some corals even regained their color, suggesting that the shades could reverse bleaching.
Neely and her colleagues suspect that the recovery may be due to the marine heatwave causing most corals to be occupied by an algae called Durusdinium.
Earth is currently experiencing its fourth global coral bleaching event, and scientists predict that by 2050, most reefs will suffer mass bleaching annually due to warming oceans.
While global action to cool the waters is necessary, these simple inventions could provide temporary relief for some coral reefs.
However, Neely notes that new engineering ideas could make these umbrellas suitable for larger reef areas, potentially offering broader protection.
What's still developing
- A surprisingly simple invention could help protect some of them.
- “But new engineering ideas could make it suitable for larger reef areas.” When corals are stressed by changes in environmental conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrient availability, they expel the symbiotic algae that live in their tissues.
- Until we can achieve those feats—and we are nowhere near close to achieving them —coral reefs will continue to suffer from mass bleaching events.