Scientists tinker with evolution to save Hawaii coral reefs

COCONUT ISLAND, Hawaii (AP) — Scientists at a research center on Hawaii's Coconut Island have embarked on an experiment to grow "super coral" that they hope can withstand the hotter and more acidic oceans that are expected with global warming.

The quest to grow the hearty coral comes at a time when researchers are warning about the dire health of the world's reefs, which create habitats for marine life, protect shorelines and drive tourist economies.

When coral is stressed by changing environmental conditions, it expels the symbiotic algae that live within it and the animal turns white or bright yellow, a process called bleaching, said Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.

Hawaii's Gates said that while the goal of their project is to help coral survive global warming, there is still a need to end human's reliance on fossil fuels and to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gasses that cause global warming.

"Even if we stopped all greenhouse gas emissions today, there is still this lag in the atmosphere where climate change will continue for probably hundreds of years," Van Oppen said.