Stanford researchers find physical contact can revive bleached corals

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that physical contact between bleached and healthy corals can trigger rapid recovery. According to a study published in Science Advances, genetically identical fragments of the species Pocillopora damicornis that were placed in contact with healthy neighbors regained their color and health within seven weeks.

The recovery process involves the formation of a nutrient bridge. When the corals touch, their tissues fuse, allowing symbiotic algae and nutrients to travel from the healthy piece to the bleached one. This mechanism allows algae to arrive within three days, with populations doubling every four days during the second week of recovery—a rate approximately ten times faster than what is observed in wild corals.

The discovery was made by chance at the Hopkins Marine Station when marine biologist Steve Palumbi observed two coral fragments from the same colony touching in a tank. Lead author Danny Collins noted that while bleached corals are struggling, they are not necessarily dead, suggesting this method could provide new techniques for restoring reefs threatened by climate change and marine heat waves.