“Coral reefs on a chain of islands off Western Australia were almost untouched by a prolonged heatwave that devastated corals in other regions in early 2025…

To try to determine just how heat-tolerant the coral at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands actually are, the scientists brought colonies from several species back to the lab and subjected them to prolonged high temperatures.

At 8 °C-weeks, compared with currently accepted thresholds, survival rates at the Houtman Abrolhos islands were twice as high and bleaching resistance was nearly four times higher. There was still nearly 100 per cent survival at around 16 °C-weeks.

The next step for the researchers is to work out exactly how the corals are achieving this survival feat.”

From New Scientist.