In an ongoing effort to understand the effects of ocean warming scientists have made yet another breakthrough in determining which reefs are more susceptible to increases in temperature. Tracking patterns of decline and measuring recovery rates of reefs throughout 291 sites, and thousands of miles of ocean over a 7 year span, scientists found that the Mozambique Channel offered the most insight into future events as its treasure trove of diversity withstood the massive warming and bleaching events of El Nino. Doctor Caleb McClennen, Director of the WCS Marine Program said this to support their findings: “The remaining coral diversity of the Mozambique Channel presents us with an opportunity to safeguard these remaining ecosystems for posterity.”

“Determining which reef systems possess a measure of resistance to climate change requires knowing how they have survived the many recent climatic disturbances. The Western Indian Ocean provides us with a variety of responses to disturbances that we can examine and distinguish environmental variation, resilience, adaptation, and other factors for a more informed view of management priorities and solutions to the climate crisis.” said Tim McClanahan, WCS’s Senior Conservation Scientist and lead author of the paper. Read more here!