On the glittering Red Sea coast, there’s a luxury tourist destination that has it all: white sands, impeccable accommodation, world-class yachting and – perhaps surprisingly – a cutting-edge laboratory that’s protecting coral reefs from climate change.
RSG researchers have also created offshore coral nurseries to help sustain and grow rescued corals, while a coral nursery on dry land could supercharge the speed at which new coral can be nurtured. The technology allows Bouwmeester and her colleagues to quickly identify signs that the coral is struggling to adapt to warmer temperatures, after which the health of the affected corals might need to be closely monitored and the reef potentially supplemented with new corals.
“A good example of that came last summer when we had a temperature stress event,” she says. With global sea temperatures higher than usual due to climate change, coral bleaching was reported all over the world.
That window usually begins around 10pm in the Red Sea, making it even harder for researchers and conservationists to study. So, to make it easier, Bouwmeester intends to play a trick on mother nature. With time, she says this could mean an exponential increase in the number of new corals grown to increase coral cover, by replacing lost colonies or boosting the coral community.