RT @aims_gov_au: Finding a forever home – new model developed by @aims_gov_au and @uwanews @uwaoceans shows multiple factors at play in cor….

Awesome work from @gretsea!!!!.

RT @adriana_humanes: Watch our new video showcasing the collaborative project between @PICRCPalau and @Coralassist_Lab on climate-smart man….

RT @petemumby: Allee effects require corals to lie within a few metres of their neighbours to achieve successful fertilisation. https://t.c….

Delighted to see our paper out in @ScienceMagazine today. And congrats for the amazing picture @jr_guest!. @SciencesNCL .@UQscience.

Wednesday in Tulum:. @jr_guest at 11.30am on a 5- year selective breeding trial. & myself at 12.00pm on natural adaptation and importance of which trait we choose for breeding

Can we selectively breed Acropora corals for heat tolerance?. Two upcoming @Coralassist_Lab talks on adaptation & breeding @CoralConsortium #ReefFutures. Feasibility & lessons learned from Pacific context given our 2 new papers:.

Thanks to all the other supportive groups & institutions helping fuel ideas in our field: @PICRCPalau @aims_gov_au @SciencesNCL @ecology_ncl @Coralassist_Lab @UQscience @UBCoceans @SCU_Australia . (12/12)

Thanks for supporting this work: @UKRI_News @NERCscience @ONEPlanetDTP @ERC_Research @MitacsCanada @RGS_IBG @ICRSCoralReefs @IDEAWILD. Coauthors: YM Bozec, J Bythell, @simondonner @HK_East AJ Edwards @golbuu @MarineGouezo @jr_guest @adriana_humanes C Riginos & @petemumby. (11/12)

Now we must combine this knowledge to support natural adaptation and enhance the heat tolerance of key coral species at local scales for high priority reefs. (10/12)

But there is also scope to bolster natural adaptation rates, e.g., via “assisted evolution”. We now know that selective breeding corals to improve adult tolerance to lethal heatwaves is feasible. (9/12).

Our work is a call to action. If we want healthy reefs we must reduce emissions & manage reefs strategically to promote adaptation potential. It's also a call away from complacency. Adaptation may well help maintain coral populations if we can deliver on decarbonisation. (8/12)

If we abandon the cause for climate action & global temperatures rise by ~5°C, Acropora corals in our model disappear. This holds true even for a an upper limit of adaptive potential, where heat tolerance is 100% genetically determined & inherited perfectly. (7/12)

Given current climate policies (which are lagging behind Paris commitments), we're on track for a ~3°C warmer world. Including adaptation in our model can make the difference between Acropora corals being lost vs. persisting, albeit with a potential loss of reef function. (6/12)

No matter our actions on reducing emissions, Acroporacorals are expected to decline over the coming decades. But if we can achieve Paris Agreement commitments and limit warming to 2°C, then natural selection could allow Acropora populations to thrive beyond 2050. (5/12)

We find that natural selection could be able to offset some of the projected degradation of reefs. But this will depend on our collective action toward decarbonisation to limit and reverse global warming. (4/12)

Marine heatwaves and resulting mass coral bleaching & mortality events remain the single biggest threat to coral reefs globally. We set out to test whether coral adaptation via natural selection could occur fast enough to keep pace with ocean warming. (3/12)

Our thoughts at @ConversationUK: The full paper in @ScienceMagazine: Open access accepted version: (2/12).

📢New Paper Alert📢. on corals and climate change in @ScienceMagazine . Adaptation via natural selection could determine whether Acroporacorals persist under expected levels of global warming. Hyperlinks & explainer thread below ⬇️. (1/12)