What’s the best idea for reducing the impacts of ocean acidification on the environment and society? After all, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to go up and up and up, which suggests that the pH of seawater will continue to fall and fall and fall. The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has weighed in with its opinion: genetics for coral.
According to Ruth Gates of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Madeleine von Oppen from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, coral reef organisms could be genetically selected to boost their resilience to environmental stress.” That environmental stress doesn’t just include more acidic waters that make reef-building more difficult, but also warmer waters that cause corals to bleach, expelling the algae that feed them.
Read the full, original story here: “How to Save Coral Reefs from Climate Change: Genetic Manipulation”
Additional Resources:
- “The Experiment: Using Gene Therapy to Save Coral Reefs ‘Stressed’ by Climate Change,” Planet Save
- “Exploring the Genetics of Deep Coral Reefs,” National Geographic
