The five: genetic fixes for the climate crisis
by Dani Ellenby from on (#4K468)
Scientists are discovering innovative ways to help the natural world adapt to environmental change
Last week, scientists from the University of Texas identified a gene in a species of coral that is activated when coral becomes heat stressed. Warmer waters as a result of climate change often cause stressed coral to expel the algae they depend upon for energy in a process known as bleaching, leading to mass coral decline. Scientists believe this gene to be present in many coral species and hope to use it to detect stressed coral before bleaching occurs, allowing them to prioritise conservation of these species.
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