Protecting diversity on coral reefs: DNA may hold the key
Coral reefs are widely known for their stunning array of color, shape and forms of life, making them a model for extreme biodiversity. Hidden within the multitude of reef inhabitants, but no less important, is their genetic diversity— variability in DNA that gives species the capacity for adaptation, speciation and resilience in the face of stress. Research published today by a team of scientists from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (UHM) School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), University of St. Andrews, and University of Melbourne discovered that large areas of intact coral reef with extensive live coral cover, not disturbed by humans or climate change, harbor the greatest amount of genetic diversity.