Coral Reefs More Diverse, and Fragile, Than Previously Thought

Even coral that looks the same, new research shows, may be part of a completely different species. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Some types of coral are abundant across reefs—turning up in a wide range of depths. Researchers have long assumed that this demonstrated versatility of the species—something that could be useful when rebuilding reefs damaged by pollution, bleaching, and other climatic events.
New research, however, has shown that these corals are not homogeneous. Instead, they consist of a variety of distinct and highly-specialized species—a finding that could have serious implications for the preservation of reefs worldwide.

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