Business · Wired
Tiny Hairs That Help Corals Breathe May Malfunction in Warming Oceans
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The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine.
Key facts
- Across the living surface of coral, a frantic dance of survival takes place, invisible to their eyes and unknown to science before 2014
- The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine
- A study published in Science in May 2026 provides new insight into how organisms with no brain or musculoskeletal system can generate and regulate this process—and what happens when the water
- At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks—piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor
Summary
At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks—piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor. They are anything but. Corals aren’t fortunate enough to have a consistent supply of oxygen, and they can’t change location to seek it out. During the day, the tiny polyps that make up a coral colony get plenty of oxygen from the symbiotic algae that photosynthesize within their tissues. A study published in Science in May 2026 provides new insight into how organisms with no brain or musculoskeletal system can generate and regulate this process—and what happens when the water around them warms up. This dynamic picture is somewhat new to scientists, who have long used corals’ symbiotic algal partners as indicators of their health.