New Scientist: Coral reefs might be able to take the heat of climate change -- if left well alone. A new study suggests reefs that are spared human interference can survive episodes of severe coral bleaching.
When corals are stressed - by a sudden rise in the temperature of seawater or a change in its chemistry, for instance - they can no longer provide nutrients to the photosynthetic algae that live symbiotically within them. As a result the corals lose both the algae and their rich hues, which stem from the...