Bleached Corals Recover in 8 Weeks When Touching Healthy Neighbors

Marine ecologists at Stanford found that bleached corals can recover in just eight weeks when in contact with a healthy neighbor that shares its symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae algae. The study was published in Science Advances. About 84.4% of the world's reefs suffered bleaching-level heat stress between January 2023 and September 2025.

• Bleached corals recovered in 8 weeks through contact with healthy corals
• 84.4% of global reefs hit by bleaching-level heat stress in 2023–2025
• The method could complement heat-tolerant breeding and coral nurseries