World Coral Conservatory project/Noah’s Ark” Project:

Why in News?  Recently Corals bred in a zoo have joined Europe’s largest reef.

• It’s among several projects worldwide seeking to address the decline of coral reef populations, which are suffering from bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures.
• Corals are central to marine ecosystems, and while these projects won’t stem the tide of damage from human-caused climate change, they are seen as part of broader solutions.

What is World Coral Conservatory ?

• World Coral Conservatory is a “Noah’s Ark” biological repository that taps into the network of the world’s public aquaria and coral reef scientists, in order to preserve the fast-disappearing biodiversity of coral reefs.

 About The “Noah’s Ark” project:

• It is the largest ongoing Russian project in life sciences to study the biodiversity . During its implementation, several hundred new species have been described; a comprehensive genetic and biochemical characterization of these species.

Coral bleaching :

• Coral reefs around the world are experiencing global bleaching for the fourth time.
• Bleaching occurs when coral under stress expels the algae that gives them their vibrant colors. The algae is also a coral’s food source, and if the bleaching lasts for too long or is too severe, the coral could die.
• In the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, bleaching affected 90% of the coral assessed in 2022. The Florida Coral Reef, the third-largest, experienced significant bleaching last year.