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EILAT, ISRAEL - JULY 14: Dr Jessica Bellworthy, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, processes coral samples for DNA/RNA tests. These samples were 'seeded' and 'planted' about a month ago at 40 metres depth for an experiment aiming to assess the impact that the environment can have on the development and survival of different coral species in juvenile life phases at The Interuniversity Institute (IUI) for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Israel. Despite sea temperatures rising faster in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba than the global average rate, the coral reef of the northernmost point of the Red Sea exhibit remarkable resilience and seem immune to the effects of global warming. Scientists are trying to understand the biological capacity of these corals to live at higher temperatures, hoping this knowledge could help reefs elsewhere in the world. The scientific community estimates that over 90% of reefs will die by 2050 due to climate change and direct human impact. The Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba corals might be one of the last remaining complete ecosystems by 2100. However, there's a glimmer of hope that this surviving coral reef could be used as a blueprint for an entirely new climate-resilient ecosystem. (Photo by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha/Getty Images).
EILAT, ISRAEL - JULY 14: Dr Jessica Bellworthy, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, processes coral samples for DNA/RNA tests. These samples were 'seeded' and 'planted' about a month ago at 40 metres depth for an experiment aiming to assess the impact that the environment can have on the development and survival of different coral species in juvenile life phases at The Interuniversity Institute (IUI) for Marine Sciences in Eilat, Israel. Despite sea temperatures rising faster in the Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba than the global average rate, the coral reef of the northernmost point of the Red Sea exhibit remarkable resilience and seem immune to the effects of global warming. Scientists are trying to understand the biological capacity of these corals to live at higher temperatures, hoping this knowledge could help reefs elsewhere in the world. The scientific community estimates that over 90% of reefs will die by 2050 due to climate change and direct human impact. The Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba corals might be one of the last remaining complete ecosystems by 2100. However, there's a glimmer of hope that this surviving coral reef could be used as a blueprint for an entirely new climate-resilient ecosystem. (Photo by Lukasz Larsson Warzecha/Getty Images).