The researchers carefully bred the corals in a controlled environment and exposed the coral larvae to heat stress conditions in the lab. The researchers then measured how the corals survived. They also examined the activity of the coral genes to see whether they could detect signs of stress at higher temperatures. The unexpected finding that coral larvae from the less heat-tolerant population survived better and showed fewer signs of stress suggests that the ability of coral offspring to handle heat might be influenced by various factors, including whether and how often their parents have bleached in the past or suffered other environmental pressures.

 

The researchers acknowledge that more research is needed to confirm their findings. The study focuses on one specific coral species, and different species may behave differently. Also, the research took place in a controlled lab setting, and many factors beyond temperature affect coral reefs in the wild. The scientists hope to dig deeper into how corals adapt to environmental changes and pass on resilience, examining the impact of corals' history and relationships with other organisms as well as the overall health of the reef.