Israel’s colorful coral reefs already attract scuba divers and snorkelers from across the globe. Now marine scientists say the Red Sea resort’s underwater shoals could become one of the last refuges for coral reefs in the world’s warming oceans.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University researchers looked at how the region’s coral reefs would respond to climate change. One of the main factors behind the worldwide problem of coral deterioration is bleaching.
In 2005, the US lost half of its coral reefs in the Caribbean in one year due to a massive bleaching event.
Coral bleaching occurs when the seawater is too warm and corals expel the algae living in their tissues. The coral then turns completely white and usually dies soon after.
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The scientists say bleaching is unlikely to occur in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba in the next 100 years, making it a unique refuge for coral reefs in the world’s warming oceans.
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