
← Reef Exchanges16 jan 2025 · 13 min
A Deeper Dive Into Mesophotic Reefs with Camille Kaczmar and Dr. Jessica Bellworthy
A Deeper Dive Into Mesophotic Reefs with Camille Kaczmar and Dr. Jessica Bellworthy
As climate change threatens tropical coral reefs with warming waters, the search for areas where water temperature remains relatively cool during warming events has become a critical area of research. One avenue of research—known as the Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis—is investigating whether mesophotic coral ecosystems can provide sanctuary for tropical corals facing warming sea surface temperatures. A key aspect of the Deep Reef Refugia Hypothesis is vertical connectivity—how larvae and geneti...