from Your News:
Research indicates coral reefs expanded most rapidly during past warm periods when sea levels were higher.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
New research from Indonesia and Australia suggests coral reefs historically grew faster during periods of warmer temperatures and higher sea levels. These findings contrast with the common view that rising ocean temperatures threaten coral survival.
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A study published in Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology reported that between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, during the Holocene Climatic Optimum, reefs in Indonesia grew at rates of about 6 millimeters per year. Today, growth averages about 1 millimeter annually. Researchers attribute the difference to sea levels up to 2 meters higher than current levels, which provided additional vertical space for corals to expand.
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Similar patterns were documented on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Reef cores examined in a 2020 study showed periods of reduced growth occurred during cooler phases, such as the Little Ice Age, when sea levels fell. When sea surface temperatures were 1–2°C warmer than today and sea levels were about one meter higher, reef accretion reached 15 millimeters per year, the fastest rates recorded in 8,500 years.
Researchers led by Dr. Holly East of Northumbria University found that sea-level variability is a key factor in reef health. Her work in the Maldives showed reef islands formed when seas were higher, with higher sea levels providing favorable conditions for coral expansion. As detailed in analysis, GBR corals also grew vertically when seas were higher but shifted to lateral growth as sea levels declined.
Dr. Nicholas Leonard, who studied GBR reef cores, noted that coral growth increased when seas rose and temperatures were warmer. “The reefs accreted uninhibited under these conditions,” he wrote, adding that higher seas created the necessary depth for growth.
Modern reef declines are often associated with bleaching events, such as the 1998 episode linked to a strong El Niño. Recovery varies by location, with local stressors such as water quality and fishing pressure also influencing outcomes.
