lHeat-resistant algae could help threatened cora

Warmer ocean temperatures pose a serious threat to corals around the world. Warmer waters typically kill the brown or green algae that a reef depends on for food, leading to bleaching and death of the reefs, but Penn State scientists have found some algae are not affected by rising temperatures, buying their coral partners some time.

Heat-resistant algae have been found in the Andaman Sea in the Indian Ocean as well as in spots in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Scientists aren't sure if the resilient algae can save corals -- the algae may not be able to be imported to coral reefs where it doesn't naturally occur and there are other things threatening coral, including rising ocean acidification, pollution and bottom-trawling fishing. Considering all of that, the algae may be just a temporary life-preserver.

But some scientists think warmer waters may encourage the growth of these algae, benefiting the reefs they occupy over the long-term. Continued research will be needed, but this discovery does offer a glimmer of hope for the world's coral.