{"id":192313,"date":"2025-12-19T20:28:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T20:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/192313\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T20:28:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T20:28:09","slug":"when-coral-reefs-collapse-earth-reacts-in-ways-no-one-saw-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/192313\/","title":{"rendered":"When coral reefs collapse, Earth reacts in ways no one saw coming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Corals are among the most vital organisms in the ocean. They shelter biodiversity, provide food, and act as natural barriers that protect coastlines from storms and tsunamis. Yet, scientists continue to discover surprising new roles for these marine architects. According to new research, corals also help regulate the climate\u2014but only in times of global crisis.<\/p>\n

A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that the rise and fall of shallow-water corals directly influence how quickly the planet recovers from major shifts in carbon dioxide (CO2) levels.<\/p>\n

Researchers from Universit\u00e9 Grenoble Alpes and the University of Sydney combined plate tectonic reconstructions with climate and biodiversity simulations. Their conclusion was striking: \u201cCoral reefs don\u2019t just respond to climate change<\/a>\u2014they actively contribute to the planet\u2019s recovery,\u201d explained lead author Tristan Salles.<\/p>\n

When corals suffer, the planet fights back<\/p>\n

By studying Earth\u2019s ancient climate cycles, the team identified two very different scenarios:<\/p>\n

\u2022 When continents are extensive and coral reefs thrive, carbonate builds up in shallow seas, limiting chemical exchanges with the deep ocean. This weakens the so-called biological pump\u2014the process by which marine life absorbs carbon\u2014and slows Earth\u2019s recovery after major climate disruptions.<\/p>\n

\u2022 But when coral reefs collapse, whether due to tectonic shifts<\/a> or falling sea levels, calcium and alkalinity increase in the oceans. The burial of carbonate shifts to deeper waters, stimulating nanoplankton growth and accelerating climate recovery.<\/p>\n

In short, when corals are in distress\u2014as they are today\u2014they trigger a natural repair mechanism. Rather than being passive victims of environmental change, corals act as \u201cactive modulators,\u201d according to the University of Sydney\u2019s summary of the study.<\/p>\n

Corals can \u201calter the oceanic biological pump, and by extension, the climate itself and its ability to recover from global disturbances.\u201d In times of planetary upheaval\u2014whether geological or climatic\u2014corals serve as powerful stabilizers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Corals are suffering from bleaching linked to climate change, and it is precisely when they are suffering that they trigger a climate stabilization mechanism. \u00a9 Naturalpict, Adobe Stock<\/p>\n

Recovery that takes millennia, not decades<\/p>\n

Does that mean corals could save us from the effects of today\u2019s global warming? Unfortunately, not in the short term. The University of Sydney points out that corals depend on other marine organisms to play their full role: \u201cThe same organisms that drive deep-sea carbonate burial\u2014plankton<\/a> and other calcifying species\u2014are themselves under threat from ocean acidification and rising CO2 emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Corals cannot stabilize the climate without the help of plankton, another organism affected by climate change. \u00a9 Thavesak, Adobe Stock<\/p>\n

There is, however, a glimmer of hope\u2014though on a geological scale rather than a human one. \u201cLooking back over the past 250 million years, we know Earth\u2019s systems eventually recover from massive carbon disruptions like the one we\u2019re in now,\u201d the researchers conclude. \u201cBut that recovery won\u2019t happen in our lifetime. Our study shows that true planetary restoration takes thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"karine-durand\"<\/p>\n

Karine Durand<\/p>\n

Specialist for extreme weather and environment<\/p>\n

A specialist in extreme weather phenomena and environmental issues, this journalist and TV host has been explaining climate topics since 2009. With over 15 years of experience in both French and American media, she is also an international speaker.<\/p>\n

Trained in communication and environmental sciences, primarily in the United States, she shares her passion for vast natural landscapes and the impacts of climate change through her work on biodiversity and land management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Corals are among the most vital organisms in the ocean. They shelter biodiversity, provide food, and act as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":192314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[273,111,139,69,147],"class_list":{"0":"post-192313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}