Robert van Woesik of FIT has identified coral reef “bright spots,” which are likely to maintain coral cover through climate change, and “dark spots,” which are likely to lose significant coral cover. The findings were based on visits to thousands of coral reef sites around the world.

"While coral reefs continue to be threatened by climate change, our study sought to locate reefs around the world that may survive such temperature stressors, in the hope that we could influence policy and turn those 'bright spot' reefs into sanctuaries, or climate-change refuges, and thereby protect them from local disturbances," said van Woesik.

• Robert van Woesik