Bleached corals recover when touching healthy neighbor
The gist
A Stanford-led study found bleached coral fully recovered within days to weeks when touching a healthy fragment.
The lab result hints at a route to help reefs hit by record bleaching.
How it unfolded
- 2025Palumbi noticed in the lab that two coral fragments in a tank were accidentally touching and colour had begun to seep into the bleached branch.
- Oct 14, 2026The study was published in Science Advances, reporting that bleached coral fully recovered within days to weeks when touching a healthy fragment.
- Oct 15, 2026The Straits Times reported five days of contact was enough for full recovery, with three days the minimum for recovery to begin.