Climate oscillations shape nature's coral refuges in a warming ocean

Why do some coral reefs weather marine heat waves better than others?

A new study published in Scientific Reports shows that the answer may lie not only in local ocean conditions, but also in climate patterns that span entire ocean basins.

By combining long-term ocean observations with chemical records preserved in coral skeletons, the researchers reveal how large-scale climate oscillations regulate the natural cooling that can help protect coral reefs during marine heat waves.

First author Dr.

Hana Camelia and Dr.

Thomas Felis from MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen led the study. ...