What is super coral?

A‘Super coral’ is a term coined as scientists search for innovative solutions to the coral bleaching crisis. Just as we have bred domestic animals for desirable features – speed in greyhounds, for instance – it might be possible to breed corals that are more tolerant to ocean warming.

There are various ways to achieve this. Scientists can cross hardy types of coral together; use genetic engineering to enhance heat tolerance; inoculate corals with bleaching-resistant symbiotic algae or even ‘train’ corals in tanks by exposing them to heat. We can also collect and breed from wild corals that have survived bleaching events.

While it’s important to explore all options to help save our reefs, super coral is not ultimately a globally scalable solution. Super corals could be replanted to help repair individual reefs, but replanting the entire estimated 250,000km2 of coral habitat that exists across our oceans would be like trying to regrow the world’s forests from seedlings.

We already know the solution – to prevent runaway climate change by reducing our carbon emissions.

Breeding coral could offer a ray of hope to reefs affected by warming seas.