Coral Reefs May Be Doing Better Than Expected, Studies Showed

A new study just showed that despite global bleaching events that had scientists worry about the population of coral reefs, "bright spots" have been appearing, meaning these corals have been thriving after all.

The unprecedented extend of coral bleaching around the world showed that corals are doing better than expected. The reason, according to National Geographic, is simple: it all comes down to how much people fished in them.

On a good note, the result showed important implications on how humans can better protect the reefs. Jack Kittinger of Conservation International and one of the co-authors of the study shared, "Most reef conservation to date has focused on protecting pristine reefs in marine protected areas, but we're finding that's not enough. We have to also think about connections to world markets."

A total of 39 scientists from 34 universities and conservation groups took park in the research published in the journal Nature. These scientists were able to identify 15 of these bright spots among over 2,500 coral reefs in 46 nations, including Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Kiribati. The study emphasized, "To be clear, bright spots are not necessarily pristine reefs, but rather reefs that have more fish than they should, given the pressures they face."

Reuters noted that the Great Barrier Reef off Australia, have performed in line with the expectations given, taking into account the remoteness and high level of protection efforts given to it. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull pledged A$1 billion to fund for the reef, which is said to be suffering widespread coral bleaching due to climate change.

Looking into the bright spots, the study found that local people depended heavily on the reefs for food, which is why they took part in owning and managing the stocks. The study's lead author Joshua Cinner said, "People invest in creative solutions when their livelihoods depend on it."