UNDER THE WAVES

Mainstream understanding says that the world's coral reefs will largely lost to climate change by 2050. But more and more marine scientists believe their resilience has been underestimated, with researchers working in the Coral Triangle region now emphasising the adaptability of Indonesian reef systems

Under the waves, the climate crisis is changing the nature of the oceans. Coral reefs, built on a foundation of hard corals whose calcium carbonate skeleton hold up all the life and colour that we see, are in peril. He has seen these changes firsthand, and believes that coral reef conservation plans must incorporate climate change resilience factors. Working with natural resilience, and protecting and supporting survivors of bleaching events could enable faster and greater recovery of reef ecosystems.
Dr Salm says that the resilience of different coral species will mean changes in reefs as the impacts of climate change worsen. While action to fight the climate crisis must happen at the global level, managing damaging fishing and tourism practices is vital to giving the reefs in Indonesia a chance.

This article was written by Minka Curr, images by Brooke Pyke

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