Coral reefs could become reality on our coastline as waters warm
CORAL reefs, known for their vibrant biodiversity, are sadly under threat. With the iconic Great Barrier Reef in Australia currently experiencing its fifth mass bleaching event in eight years, focus has shifted to global restoration projects aiming to preserve these underwater ecosystems.
As global sea temperatures continue to rise, scientists believe that waters once considered temperate may play a crucial role in the conservation of tropical coral reefs. It might seem like a stretch, but there’s speculation that the coastal waters off Wales could potentially become “breeding grounds” for replacement reefs in the future.
Ocean Science and Technology (OST), a leading information hub for the marine and offshore sector, has been examining some of the world’s most significant rescue efforts currently in progress. With technology being developed to create and replant coral reefs OST suggests that, if current warming trends persist, the UK could host reef nurseries in the coming decades.
To illustrate this possibility, OST conducted a theoretical exercise to show how parts of the Welsh coastline might appear if coral farming were to occur.
Using AI they developed images of popular coastal areas in Pembrokeshire, Anglesey, Gwynedd and Ceredigion and as they might look in 2074.
Current conservation efforts for reefs are diverse, ranging from the cultivation of climate-resilient corals to the development of seaweed farms that can capture carbon and mitigate ocean acidification. Australia is a hub of innovation in this field with inventions such as the RangerBot that patrols reefs to neutralise threats without harming surrounding habitats.
Another innovative approach is the Modular Artificial Reef Structure (MARS) developed in Melbourne.
This system facilitates coral transplantation using modular ceramic components – a material that mimics natural reef formation. The MARS system has already demonstrated its effectiveness in deep-water environments in the Maldives.
OST stated: “The variety of technologies being used suggests that coral reefs coming to lesser-predictable shores isn’t a far-gone idea. 3D printing is taking place in Melbourne helping coral reefs to grow new colonies through printing techniques. Meanwhile, in Queensland, researchers have created RangerBots that can identify reef health by creating 3D maps. They can be used to track changes to ecosystems, enabling scientists to react quicker than ever before.”
Coral production is already happening in Britain – albeit in laboratories. Derby University may be 75 miles from the sea, but it’s pioneered techniques that enable corals to reproduce in aquariums.
Amazingly, the UK is home to its very own stunning coral reefs.
Located in the cooler depths of western Scotland’s seas, these vibrant cold-water reefs are on par with their balmy tropical equivalents. Packed with Lophelia pertusa, it’s the only type of coral that forms reefs in these British waters. The area they cover stretches for an impressive 100 square kilometres.
Interestingly, some coral colonies are freshly formed less than five years old and appear to be continually growing. However, the largest proportion of these Scottish reefs is timehonoured.
A statement from The Wildlife Trusts reads: “Lophelia reefs grow very slowly – only between 4mm25mm per year. As such the biggest reefs are likely to be thousands of years old with some recorded as growing in iceberg plough marks made during the last ice age.”
Even so, our waters have a long journey ahead before being even remotely classified as tropical. Over the preceding four decades worldwide sea surface temperatures have seen an increase of 0.60C.
Additionally, there are signs this warming trend is gathering pace.
OST data has shown projections of ocean temperatures heating by 0.20C globally – and between 0.20C and 0.30C in Europe – every five years.
Subsequently, by 2074, we could be looking at a 20C-30C rise in value in UK waters. Given average late-summer sea-surface temperatures peak at 15.40C in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, currently even after such a rise, local seas would fall short of reaching 200C, which is considered as the threshold for tropical waters.
Last year the Met Office reported a marine heatwave that saw UK waters reach temperatures up to 50C above average. At Anglesey Sea Zoo, daily monitoring of Menai Strait waters indicates coastal temperatures are approaching tropical levels.
Frankie Hobro, owner and director of the zoo, said: “In August into September we’ve been getting water temperatures of 180C-190C and occasionally 200C. These are what you would expect to see in the Mediterranean.
“As the sea continues to warm, we’re having to turn on our water tank chillers earlier in the year to cool our native marine species. The chillers used to go on in late May or even June. Now they’re being switched on as early as April.”
The idea of Welsh coastlines serving as nurseries for tropical corals isn’t as implausible as it once seemed. While OST’s generated images of coral farming in Wales are heavily distorted they offer a glimpse into a potential future that experts believe could become a reality.