The world’s coral reefs are in trouble. As the oceans get warmer, corals are stressed and eventually die. Coral scientist Tessa Hempson calls corals the “canary in the coal mine”. The little bird that used to be placed far down the mine shafts, because when it died you knew the oxygen in the mine would soon run out. A whistleblower who suffers long before we humans do.
The calm turquoise waters along Thailand's coast can look idyllic. But beneath the surface lurks a treacherous disease that is spreading and killing vital coral reefs.
Climate change is a major threat to coral reefs. But some coral species appear to be in a better position to withstand and survive in a warmer ocean – if global warming is limited to 2 degrees, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports
"The more corals that disappear from nature, the more important ours in aquariums become," says researcher Björn Källström
