In November 2019, researchers from University of Plymouth recorded unexpected evidence of coral bleaching more than 90 metres below the ocean surface. 

Describing their discovery as a "huge surprise," Dr Phil Hosegood, Associate Professor in Physical Oceanography at the University of Plymouth and lead on the project, said: "Deeper corals had always been thought of as being resilient to ocean warming, because the waters they inhabit are cooler than at the surface and were believed to remain relatively stable."

To safeguard the survival of coral reefs around the world, portable aquariums can be set up in remote areas to propagate young corals that can be used for reef restoration.

Known as ReefSeed, this containerised system is being developed by Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in collaboration with the Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI). 

Initially slow, the recovery puzzled scientists in the study, led by marine ecologist Dr Christopher Doropoulos and research co-lead Dr George Roff, together with team members from the University of Queensland and Palau International Coral Reef Center, who expected regeneration to follow traditional patterns, driven by coral spawning events. These events involve the synchronized release of eggs and sperm into the water, leading to the dispersal of coral larvae that settle onto impacted reefs.