Tiny hairs that help corals breathe may malfunction in warming oceans

A study in Science showed how microscopic cilia on coral surfaces create water vortices that deliver oxygen to tissues. As water warms, oxygen decreases, cilia beat faster and end up consuming more oxygen than the coral can absorb.

• Cilia create water vortices, speeding oxygen delivery to coral tissues
• Oxygen diffusion over 1 mm takes up to 4 minutes, too slow for corals
• In warm water, cilia beat faster and consume oxygen themselves
• Mechanism first described in 2014, new study published in Science in 2026