Publication Date March 17, 2016 | Phys.org

Help arriving too late for Abrolhos Islands' fragile coral

Australia
The Abrolhos Islands off Geraldton harbour a wonderworld of corals at risk from climate change. Photo: Marine Ecology and Monitoring Section, Department of Fisheries.
The Abrolhos Islands off Geraldton harbour a wonderworld of corals at risk from climate change. Photo: Marine Ecology and Monitoring Section, Department of Fisheries.

New research has shown that coral larvae carried on the Leeuwin Current from elsewhere are unlikely to bolster the fragile reef system which died off in vast quantities during the 2011 heat wave. New research has shown that coral larvae carried on the Leeuwin Current from elsewhere are unlikely to bolster the fragile reef system which died off in vast quantities during the 2011 heat wave