{"id":260747,"date":"2025-08-22T17:31:53","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:31:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/?p=260747"},"modified":"2025-08-22T17:32:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T07:32:54","slug":"heat-tolerant-coral-and-the-great-barrier-reef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.russh.com\/heat-tolerant-coral-and-the-great-barrier-reef\/","title":{"rendered":"Have you heard of heat-tolerant coral? It could be the key to saving the Great Barrier Reef"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Friday 15 August, like-minded individuals gathered for the fifth-annual Sapphire Dinner. It’s a moment to celebrate and raise awareness for the Sapphire Project<\/a>: A Tiffany & Co-supported initiative dedicated to protecting our oceans.<\/p>\n

To date, the Sapphire Project has raised over $5 million for ocean conservation, donating it across groups like The Great Southern Reef Foundation, Seadragon Conservation and of course, The Great Barrier Reef Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s hardly a secret that the Great Barrier Reef faces an existential threat. Rising sea temperatures and pollution have damaged the Reef immensely. The threat of losing this natural wonder of the world grows with every passing year. Most recently, in 2024, a marine heatwave caused a mass-coral bleaching event which decimated coral cover by up to 30 per cent<\/a> in some areas of the Reef. Stack that on top of the litany of other issues facing the Reef and you can see why it requires this sort of an intervention.<\/p>\n

These constant threats to the Reef’s survival splashing across global headlines could make one feel despondent. After all, it’s easy to feel nihilistic when you hear reports about its current state and ongoing deterioration. But consistent funding \u2013 like that provided by the Sapphire Project \u2013 has led to discoveries that are creating genuine hope for the future.<\/p>\n

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