Coral reefs could survive warming seas through 2050

Mombasa: About 64,000 square miles of coral reefs — roughly the size of Wisconsin — could still resist climate change by 2050, a new AI study finds.

Researchers analyzed 45,000 reef observations from 1960 onward across 46 criteria. The model identified “coral refuges” where reefs can endure heat, recover faster, or avoid bleaching.

Most of these areas are in the Philippines, Indonesia, Cuba, the Bahamas, and Australia. Belize, Nicaragua, and Turks and Caicos also showed strong resilience.

The authors say the map can help countries target conservation funding, especially small island nations.

The findings come amid other positive news: Papua New Guinea protected 77,000 sq miles of ocean, scientists in Mauritius bred heat-resistant corals with 98% survival, and labs in the Maldives produced 10,000 corals in weeks.