Fire corals resemble typical stony corals but are actually close relatives of jellyfish; hence their wicked sting. They have the ability to grow either as sheets—expanding as a flat coating across rocks and other surfaces—or as “trees,” sprouting upward with a stem and branches. More than 40 years ago, Jeremy Jackson, an ocean biologist with the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, proposed that this plasticity would give fire corals an edge as Caribbean reefs experienced global warming and hurricanes. Edmunds now concludes Jackson was right.
Researchers are using probiotics on coral to counter disease. Corals grown in aquaculture have high mortality rates. Other scientists say successful coral transplants will only buy time and that greater action on climate change is needed. A project investigating the possibility comes at a time when reef restoration efforts to address Great Barrier Reef challenges such as salinity, runoff, fishing, and climate change are in the spotlight.
