Access

Brief Communications

Nature 430, 741 (12 August 2004) | doi:10.1038/430741a; Published online 11 August 2004

Open Innovation Challenges

Coral reefs:  Corals' adaptive response to climate change

Andrew C. Baker1,2, Craig J. Starger3, Tim R. McClanahan1 & Peter W. Glynn4

Top

Shifting to new algal symbionts may safeguard devastated reefs from extinction.

Top

The long-term response of coral reefs to climate change depends on the ability of reef-building coral symbioses to adapt or acclimatize to warmer temperatures, but there has been no direct evidence that such a response can occur. Here we show that corals containing unusual algal symbionts that are thermally tolerant and commonly associated with high-temperature environments are much more abundant on reefs that have been severely affected by recent climate change. This adaptive shift in symbiont communities indicates that these devastated reefs could be more resistant to future thermal stress, resulting in significantly longer extinction times for surviving corals than had been previously assumed.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Global change Dishing the dirt on coral reefs

Nature News and Views (13 Feb 2003)

RESEARCH

Ecosystems Reef corals bleach to survive change

Nature Brief Communication (14 Jun 2001)

Ecology (Communication arising) Is coral bleaching really adaptive?

Nature Brief Communication (07 Feb 2002)

Ecology (Communication arising) Is coral bleaching really adaptive?

Nature Brief Communication (07 Feb 2002)

See all 14 matches for Research