Australian researchers are designing a global real-time monitoring system to help save the world’s coral reefs from further decline, primarily due to bleaching caused by global warming.

New study reveals that coral reefs in the Gulf of Eilat experienced a surprising 3,000-year "shutdown" in growth, from about 4,400 to 1,000 years ago, likely due to a temporary drop in sea level that could have been caused by global cooling. This phenomenon, which aligns with similar reef interruptions in Mexico, Brazil, and Australia, suggests a widespread environmental shift during that period. Despite the long pause, the reef eventually recovered, with coral species reappearing from deeper waters, demonstrating their natural resilience. However, researchers warn that today's climate change, pollution, and ocean acidification pose far greater challenges, making conservation efforts more critical than ever to protect these vital marine ecosystems.

Book your hotel for the American Physical Society’s joint March Meeting and April Meeting, now called the Global Physics Summit, being held in person in Anaheim and online everywhere March 17-21.