A global genetic study, co-authored by Ocean Revive's CEO Dr Sebastian Schmidt-Roach, offers new insight into whether corals can evolve fast enough to survive in a warming ocean.

A recent study on the brain coral Platygyra daedalea explores the genetic capacity of corals to withstand heat stress. By breeding corals from 10 diverse reef regions and testing their larvae under extreme heat, researchers shed light on the heritability of coral heat tolerance.

Key Findings

  • Heat tolerance in corals is partly heritable
  • Heritability and adaptive potential vary across populations
  • Corals from genetically diverse populations are more resilient
  • No major trade-offs were found between heat survival and settlement success
  • Corals from heat-stressed regions show lower genetic potential to adapt further

What Did the Researchers Discover?

Heat Tolerance is heritable, but varies by population. The researchers found coral heat survival is partly inherited, with heritability ranging from 19% to 49% depending on the reef. Some parent corals passed on genes that made their larvae more heat-tolerant, while others didn't. Populations with greater genetic diversity showed the widest range in performance.

Thermal history shapes genetic potential. Corals from historically hotter regions showed lower genetic variation for heat tolerance, suggesting natural selection may have already favoured the most heat-tolerant individuals, leaving less variation for future adaptation.

No trade-offs between key fitness traits. Larvae that survived high temperatures also performed well in cooler conditions and were just as likely to settle successfully — making heat-tolerant corals strong candidates for reef restoration.

What Does This Mean for Coral Restoration?

Conservation and restoration strategies should prioritise genetically diverse populations, select heat-resilient genotypes for breeding and restoration, and incorporate assisted evolution into reef restoration planning.

Read the full research paper here.

Bibliography

  • Howells, E.J., Abrego, D., Schmidt-Roach, S. et al., 2025. Marine heatwaves select for thermal tolerance in a reef-building coral. Nature Climate Change, pp.1–4.