Scientists Identify 64,000 Square Miles of Climate-Resilient Reefs, Tripling Prior Estimate
Updated
Updated · Reuters · Jun 16
Scientists Identify 64,000 Square Miles of Climate-Resilient Reefs, Tripling Prior Estimate
3 articles · Updated · Reuters · Jun 16
Summary
Nearly 166,000 sq km of coral reefs can survive and recover from climate change, according to new research spanning 45,000 reef surveys and decades of ocean and climate data.
The analysis mapped resilient reefs across 71 countries and 100 territories, including previously unrecognized areas in parts of the Caribbean and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Only 28% of those reefs are currently inside protected or conserved areas, giving governments new guidance as they draft “30 by 30” plans to protect 30% of land and marine areas by 2030.
Researchers said the findings could help direct scarce conservation funding toward reefs with the best survival odds, while some severely degraded sites may require triage rather than full restoration.
The study offers a counterpoint to warnings of irreversible coral decline from bleaching, storms and pollution, arguing that political will is now the key constraint.
With most newly found coral havens still unprotected, what is the immediate plan to safeguard these vital ocean sanctuaries?
Beyond just mapping them, can AI help us actively defend coral reefs from the next global ocean heatwave?
Mapping 166,000 km² of Coral Reefs: How AI Uncovered Triple the Climate-Resilient Refugia and What It Means for Global Conservation
Overview
In June 2026, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) unveiled groundbreaking research that redefined our understanding of coral reef resilience by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning. Using advanced systems like DeepReefMap, WCS rapidly analyzed massive coral reef datasets, overcoming previous bottlenecks in data processing. This effort identified nearly three times more climate-resilient coral refugia worldwide than previously estimated, covering about 166,000 square kilometers across 71 countries and 100 territories. The findings offer renewed hope for coral ecosystems, showing that AI can transform conservation by revealing new opportunities to protect these vital habitats.