Eilat's Corals Stand Better Chance of Resilience Than Other Sites

"Sep. 29, 2013 — Israel's southern Red Sea resort of Eilat, one of whose prime attractions is its colorful and multi-shaped underwater coral reefs, may have a clear advantage in the future over rival coral-viewing sites around the world, scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Bar-Ilan University have found."

Coral reefs, which are earth’s most diverse ecosystem, are rapidly decomposing. The reason for this rapid deterioration is because of coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is when the seawater temperature exceeds the summer maximum temperature by ½ to one degree Celsius. When the temperature of the seawater exceeds the normal summer temperature, the coral loses it’s symbiotic algae which 

leads to the coral bleaching and its imminent death. 

But, even though coral bleaching is increasing throughout the world, no bleaching event has been seen in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba, which is in the northern tip of the Red Sea, even when bleaching conditions exist (warmth of seawater).

Israeli scientists say that the lack of coral bleaching is because of the “warm-water barrier” that exists at the southern Red Sea. This barrier only allows heat-tolerant genotypes of coral to enter the Red Sea. The coral is coming from the Gulf of Aden. The Israeli scientists believe that coral bleaching will not occur for the next century and the Gulf of Eilat/Awaba will be a good refuge for coral reefs.

The Israeli scientists published their findings, named “A Coral Reef Refuge in the Red Sea” on September 23 in the journal “Global Change Biology”. The paper comes from the result of a joint study of two doctors and one professor. The work was assessed in the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat.

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130929142700.htm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Coral_reef_in_Ras_Muhammad_nature_park_(Iolanda_reef).jpg

http://www.curacaonature.org/files/9213/6921/7634/coral_bleaching_indonesia_lg2_1.jpg

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/gulfaqba.gif