Hand holding Sea fan. Photo Credit: Fiona Crawford Watson/Getty Images

Environment United Kingdom19. June 2022

Warm Water Won’t Stop This Coral from Thriving

According to recent predictions, the pink sea fan coral, a rare species evolving in Britain, United Kingdom, will most likely thrive in warmer than expected environments, a positive outcome for the vulnerable soft coral in an ever-changing ecosystem due to climate change.

“We built models to predict the current and future habitat of pink sea fans across an area covering the Bay of Biscay, the British Isles, and southern Norway,” says Dr. Tom Jenkins, from Exeter University. “The model predictions revealed current areas of suitable habitat beyond the current northern range limits of the pink sea fan, in areas where colonies have not yet been observed.”

The pink sea coral – Eunicella verrucosa – can be found in north-west Ireland, south-west England, and Wales’ shallow waters but could spread northwards by the 22nd century as global temperatures rise. Researchers created their models using a global heating model called RCP 8.5. Corals are ecologically important since they add complexity to reef systems, support marine biodiversity, and act as an indicator of ecosystem health.

Source:
The Guardian

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