Coral reefs are in trouble. One lab in the desert is trying to help
Dubai marina, almost 1,000 pieces of coral, trimmed a month ago, are being grown in four aquariums in a laboratory.
A land-based laboratory in the Arabian Desert may seem like an unlikely spot for regenerating coral reefs. But, already, the corals are brighter than when they were cut in mid-November.
«We can start to see the sign that the coral is starting to grow slowly from the top,» Ahmed Hamdy, a coral farm manager, said.
In six to 12 months, when the corals are healthy enough, Coral Vita, a private company working to restore reefs, will relocate them to waters outside of Dubai.
It's part of an experiment. Coral restoration programs are up against long odds because of climate change and environmental degradation, but marine scientists say they are critical for ensuring that certain species of coral do not become extinct.
And corals in the Persian Gulf have evolved to withstand high temperatures, making them some of the best candidates for understanding how reefs react to extreme heat.
At the United Nations climate summit taking place in Dubai, negotiations have focused less on the global biodiversity crisis than on finding an agreement on reducing fossil fuel production. But healthy, rich ecosystems, in addition to nurturing plants and animals, are critical for storing carbon and protecting shorelines.
Corals reefs occupy less than 0.1% of the ocean's floor, but 25% of all known marine species depend on them at some point in their life cycles.
In addition, they «stop storm waves in their tracks,» said Tali Vardi, executive director of the Coral Restoration Consortium, a group dedicated to supporting coral restoration practitioners. That's especially important as global warming is increasing the intensity of
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