Tel Aviv, Sept. 18 -- A new study has revealed that corals in the Gulf of Eilat have survived four consecutive and intensifying marine heatwaves, including the world's most extreme event in 2024, without experiencing mass bleaching -- a resilience unmatched anywhere else on the planet. The findings provide a rare glimmer of hope amid a global coral crisis, as reefs worldwide collapse under rising ocean temperatures.

Coral bleaching is a stress response that corals undergo when exposed to environmental changes, especially increases in water temperature. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae called zooxanthellae that live inside their tissues. These algae give corals their beautiful colours and, more importantly, provide up ...