Coral Reefs in Mauritius are Turning Ghostly White. Can Nurseries Rescue Them From Climate Change?

Mauritius has lost roughly half of its coral cover since the 1970s as ocean warming, bleaching events and pollution place intense pressure on reefs that support biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and coastal protection. A national restoration project, backed by the Adaptation Fund and UNDP, is using coral nurseries and both sexual and asexual reproduction to restore degraded reef areas in Blue Bay Marine Park. Researchers are growing fragments before transplanting them to the seabed, while also exploring coral spawning as a route to resilient new colonies.