Corals' natural 'sunscreen' may help them weather climate change
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute scientists are one step closer to understanding why some corals can weather climate change better than others, and the secret could be in a specific protein that produces a natural sunscreen. As their name implies, Hawaiian blue rice corals sport a deep blue pigment, which is created by chromoprotein and filters out harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Although UV damage may produce long-term impacts to reproduction in many coral species—including brown rice coral—it may not have the same effect on blue rice coral. The findings of this study were published June 9 in the paper "Reproductive plasticity of Hawaiian Montipora corals following thermal stress" in Scientific Reports.
Interactive: Can the Great Barrier Reef survive climate change?
Science Q&A: Freezing Coral In Time Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Scientists fear 'zombie' phenomenon may ravage Hawaiian waters: 'The people who lived there have always wondered
Animal News
Super corals: the race to save the world's reefs from the climate crisis – in pictures, Environment
Coral Reefs: Strategies for Ecosystems on the Edge International Institute for Sustainable Development
East Asia Pacific – Page 572 – Eurasia Review
Animal News
Maui's Coral Reefs: 7 Ways to Help
Environment – Page 534 – Eurasia Review
