THE brilliant fluorescence of some corals may protect them against the
effects of too much sunlight and the worst ravages of global warming.
A slight increase in heat or light can destroy the symbiotic relationship
between corals and the photosynthetic algae that live in them. The damaged
corals become bleached and die.
But Anya Salih of the University of Sydney has found that coral with the
highest density of fluorescent pigments survives when other corals become
bleached (Nature, vol 408, p 850). The pigments help regulate the
effects of light on the coral, by enhancing low light and dissipating…
