A team of researchers has identified 166,000 km² of coral reefs capable of surviving climate change, offering new hope for these marine ecosystems.

A team of researchers has discovered nearly 166,000 km² of coral reefs capable of surviving and recovering from climate change, an area three times larger than previous estimates. These reefs, essential for a quarter of global marine life, have been affected by violent storms, pollution, and 'bleaching' events caused by high ocean temperatures. The analysis of 45,000 reef studies, along with climate and ocean data, identified these resilient reefs in 71 countries and 100 territories, including areas in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Atlantic. Emily Darling, director of coral reef conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society, emphasized that the research offers new hope and that political will is needed to protect these ecosystems. This data is essential for the action plans of countries aiming to protect 30% of their terrestrial and marine environments by the end of the decade, known as '30 by 30'. Currently, only 28% of reefs are in protected areas, highlighting the urgency of conservation actions, especially in the context of a future El Niño event.