Evolution in the 21st century: Can coral reef organisms adapt to climate change?

'Evolution21' is a five year project examining the genetic and non-genetic responses of various reef organisms to today’s climate conditions, and those predicted for the years 2050 and 2100.

Understanding how animals and plants adapt is required to predict the health and resilience of coral reef populations under continued ocean change.

Evolution 21 is a five-year mesocosm project assessing how three climate scenarios (today, and predicted for years 2050 and 2100) will impact the health and adaptation of reef organisms such as corals, sponges, foraminifera, seagrasses and sea urchins.

We study a range of attributes in animals and their microbial symbionts – diverse microscopic communities essential for the health of the animal.

Evolution 21 has been running in the National Sea Simulator since mid-2016. Some sponges, sea urchins and corals are now potentially acclimatised to future conditions and are reproducing through spawning this season. We will investigate if the offspring from these acclimatised adults are more resilient to future ocean conditions.