On Tuesday, scientists at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya revealed a global map identifying 166,000 square kilometers of coral reefs capable of surviving rising ocean temperatures.
This new estimate of "climate refugia" is three times larger than previous studies suggested and spans 71 different countries. These specific reefs are considered resilient because they are located in areas with cooler currents or specific depths that shield them from devastating heat waves. Despite their importance to marine biodiversity, researchers warn that only 28% of these resilient sites are currently inside marine protected areas.
Conservationists are now calling for a immediate global shift in policy to prioritize these "super reefs" before they are lost to pollution or overfishing.
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