As the tropical summer months approach, there is an urgent need to relocate heat-resistant corals to the cooler outer reefs. The nucleus of the work is happening now near one of the original coral nurseries where species have been selected for their resilence against the warming seas. Since the pattern now is for certain areas and island countries to be subjected to higher sea temperatures for longer, this makes the situation for coral reef survival even more dire.
The timeframe is short to accomplish necessary transplanting of supercorals to safer reef sites which will assure longer survival of the species.
As this work is being done with scientific assessment and careful documentation, new discoveries will be made. Most importantly, these discoveries in how to maximize the sharing of symbionic algae and being positioned to take advantage of ocean currents for spawning events will have value for the immediate future. In turn, the longer picture of sparing coral reefs from bleaching will be shared to communities throughout the South Pacific and the world.
It is possible by identifying and isolating the supercorals now, decades can be added to the survival of coral reef systems. These ecosystems are not only critical for attracting a rich variety of fish and other ocean dwellers: These ecosystems feed villages. Without reefs and world fisheries being encouraged by natural means to be sustainable, the populations of villages, cities, and entire countries will suffer.
