Japanese Scientists Race to Save Reefs From Heat 'Bomb'

Japanese scientists race to save reefs from heat 'bomb'

From "heatwave simulators" to ecological bootcamps, scientists and conservationists are trying ways to revive and reinforce the famous coral reefs off Japan's Okinawa, decimated by climate-driven bleaching two summers ago.

Japan coral protectors race to save reefs from heat ‘bomb’

Coral reefs are home to roughly a quarter of the world’s marine fish species. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Japan coral protectors race to save reefs from heat 'bomb'

The subtropical southern Japanese region boasts some of the world's most biodiverse hubs of normally multicoloured coral, but a 2024 marine heatwave created "graveyards" of ghostly pale or sickly brown organisms. With the world's oceans the hottest on record in June, and a major El Nino predicted this year, experts fear that 2026 could be even worse for the colonies of polyps and the rich variety of marine life that calls them home. On land, Jap…