The latest report discovered that deep-sea corals could travel in the higher-elevation areas to look for possible food. However, climate change-driven warming trends can become more challenging for corals to survive and adapt.
In recent NWN reports, corals play a crucial role in the environment, providing significant food sources and habitats for marine animals. The health decline of corals could lead to a serious environmental problem.
Coral reefs have suffered from various threats, including pollution, warming temperatures, illegal fishing practices, vessel strikes and climate change. As a result, coral protection is important to save species from population decline.
In an effort, researchers studied the deep-sea corals and how they moved to search for potential food. Changing climate conditions can impact coral's behavior and survival.
The findings were observed in the patterns in the deep sea, studying the interaction between cold-water corals and their environments. Understanding the coral behavior will provide new insights, contributing the conservation and protection efforts.
Cold-Water Corals in Deep Sea
(Photo : by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images) Underwater. Climate change is a growing problem that can impact even the deep sea coral reefs. The warming can threaten the species' survival and productivity. The researcher emphasized the crucial of said corals as natural engineers, and protecting their species is important for deep-sea species amidst the threat of changing climate conditions.
According to the report, the researcher studied the coral's spatial patterns and growth. The cold-water corals thrive in deep-seas or dark waters, and they most likely move to higher mountains to find food.
Deep-sea is also home to various unknown species with highly productive cold-water corals (CWC). The role of said corals is crucial for species underwater. However, climate change and global change can significantly impact the habits of CWC.
"When the water gets warmer, these creatures prefer to be deeper, but a coral doesn't just walk down the mountain," theoretical ecologist Anna van der Kaaden said as quoted in a report published in Phys.org. Kaaden is also from the Yerseke and the Copernicus Institute for Sustainable Development in Utrecht.
The researcher emphasized the crucial of said corals as natural engineers, and protecting their species is important for deep-sea species amidst the threat of changing climate conditions.
Despite the cold-water corals are resilient, climate change can still pose a devastating threat to their numbers. Mitigation and adaptation efforts will help protect corals from the rapid rise of temperatures. The researcher urged to prepare for the climate change effects.
