UAE Coral Reefs Resilience Measured With CBASS Heat-Tolerance Test

A UAE-led research team has completed a large field study on UAE coral reefs, testing how different coral colonies respond to extreme sea temperatures. The work uses a rapid heat-stress tool to identify the most resilient corals, and is expected to support national plans to restore millions of corals along the country’s coasts.

The project is led by scientists from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arabian Centre for Climate and Environmental Sciences, known as Mubadala ACCESS. "The UAE is home to corals that already survive in the world’s warmest seas, but climate change is pushing even these hardy species to their limits," said John Burt, Professor of Biology and Co-Director of Mubadala ACCESS.

"With CBASS, we can pinpoint the most heat-tolerant individuals and use them to seed new coral nurseries and restoration projects across the Emirates." The team used the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System, or CBASS, to test hundreds of coral colonies directly on reefs. Each 18-hour test gradually raised water temperature and tracked coral condition, giving a clear measure of heat tolerance.

The survey covered reefs along several UAE coasts and is described by the researchers as a first-of-its-kind assessment in the country. The work aligns with national marine conservation efforts, including Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi’s aim to restore four million corals by 2030. Selecting naturally resilient colonies is expected to increase survival when heatwaves strike regional seas.

Mubadala ACCESS carried out the study with several government partners, including Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, the Fujairah Environment Authority, RAK Environment and Protected Area Authority, and Sharjah’s Environment and Protected Area Authority. These partners manage major reef areas and provide long-term monitoring data that help interpret the heat-stress test results.

Maitha Mohamed Al Hameli, Director of Marine Biodiversity Division at Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, said, "The EAD is committed to advancing science-based solutions that protect our most vital ecosystems. Our long-standing coral reef monitoring and survey programme has played a pivotal role in shaping restoration efforts. Through systematic surveys and thermal stress assessments, we have identified coral colonies in Abu Dhabi’s waters that exhibited remarkable thermal tolerance and resilience to bleaching events."

Al Hameli explained that these assessments guide the agency’s restoration work, ensuring that coral propagation and transplantation focus on the most robust species. By rebuilding reefs with colonies that cope better with heat, the initiative supports reef structure, marine biodiversity, and the long-term resilience of Abu Dhabi’s coral ecosystems as sea temperatures rise.

Other local authorities highlighted similar benefits for their coasts. Asila Abdullah Al Mualla, Director-General of the Fujairah Environment Authority, stated, "This is a significant step towards ensuring the continued flourishing of our coral reefs and the biodiversity and coastal protection they provide." Abdul Aziz Al Suwaidi, Director of Marine Sustainability at the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, stated, "Coral reefs are the most biodiverse ecosystem in the UAE, and this research supports their continued resilience in the future."

Researchers plan genetics studies next, to understand why some UAE coral reefs perform better under heat stress than others. Findings are expected to support selective breeding, creation of coral nurseries, and careful relocation of resilient stocks to damaged reefs. CBASS will remain central for screening coral resilience before any restoration moves ahead in UAE waters.

With inputs from WAM