Author: Freya Roberts
Source: The Carbon Brief [1]
October 5, 2012

"Scientists widely agree on the fundamental mechanisms by which climate change will affect the world's corals. Rising sea surface temperatures and increasingly acidic oceans make it difficult for corals to grow and survive. But how well corals are able to adapt under these conditions is something that divides scientific opinion.

While most believe corals' future under climate change looks pretty gloomy, some hold optimism that corals can adapt - and their hopes aren't entirely unfounded. From alarming reports in the media, however, it doesn't seem that way. So exactly how likely is it that corals can survive climate change?

The oceans, much like the atmosphere, are warming in response to manmade greenhouse gas emissions. This warming threatens temperature sensitive species like corals, which respond by bleaching."

To read the full text of this article, click here [2].