LA JOLLA, Calif. — Coral reefs cover 1% of the world, but are home to 25% of marine life. Scientists said threats, including warming waters, have caused some corals to die.  

A study released last month has found that heat-related coral reef bleaching between 2014 and 2017 has left some with irreversible harm.

Another study has found heat-related bleaching between 2023 and 2025 has affected 84% of corals.

But some scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have developed a gel that may help boost the population.

Interdisciplinary marine biologist Daniel Wangpraseurt said the gel dubbed “SNAP-X” has shown to cause coral larvae to attach to surfaces covered in the gel 20-times more than surfaces without the gel.

Image: Sandy Ravaloniaina, Unsplash