Science, Strategies, and Solutions for Responding to Coral Bleaching Events Webinar

Coral reefs are among the most vibrant and vital ecosystems on Earth, and while they are experiencing increasing pressure from longer and more intense marine heatwaves, they also continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience and recovery potential, given the right conditions.

To mark Coral Bleaching Awareness Month, the Coral Reef Alliance, International Coral Reef Initiative, and the Reef Resilience Network hosted a special #ForCoral webinar where scientists and practitioners from around the world presented the latest outlook on the Fourth Global Coral Bleaching Event and discussed its implications for reef ecosystems.

Margaux Monfared, International Policy and Advocacy Director from the International Coral Reef Initiative, presented the latest NOAA statistics on the global impact of heat stress on coral reefs (from Spady et al., in review) and outlined tools available to managers for addressing these challenges. She emphasized that not all coral reefs have been impacted equally, with multiple factors influencing a reef’s capacity to recover.

Mohammed Ismail Elsayed, Director of Coral Reef Monitoring and Assessment at the General Organisation for the Conservation of Coral Reefs and Turtles in the Red Sea (SHAMS), discussed efforts to coordinate reef monitoring across the Red Sea region through a regional bleaching alert system developed in collaboration with CORDIO East Africa.

Israel Muñiz, Marine Scientist from Healthy Reefs for Healthy People, described collaborative work among Latin American countries to produce a regional overview of reef health, which supports prioritization and coordination of resilience-building actions for the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

Finally, Matthew Davies, Data and Monitoring Manager from The Nature Conservancy, explained a workflow that uses drone technology to identify resilient coral colonies in the US Virgin Islands and guide restoration strategies aimed at improving thermal tolerance.

We hope these presentations will inspire and remind you that, even in challenging times for coral reefs, there is still hope. Through science, collaboration, and collective commitment, we can chart a path toward a more resilient future—one that safeguards coral reefs and the communities that depend on them.

Resources

• coralbleaching.com features information and resources related to the 3rd annual Coral Bleaching Awareness Month
• The Network developed a worksheet to guide managers through developing a bleaching response plan and a Coral Bleaching Toolkit
• Other relevant Network resources:
• Help from on High: Monitoring Coral Bleaching with Drones podcast episode
• Climate Adaptation Toolkit
• Introduction to Coral Reef Management Online Course (Lesson 2: Threats to Coral Reefs and Lesson 3: Management Strategies for Resilience
• CORAL’s Coral Bleaching Toolkit & Comprehensive Guide
• ICRI’s Coral Bleaching Hub, with key messages and resources about coral bleaching, its impacts, causes, and solutions being implemented. It was developed to support managers and policy makers through policy and planning, and encourage cooperation amongst ICRI members.
• Other relevant ICRI resources:
• Register for this upcoming webinar: Launch of the Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2024
• Key Policy Asks for Coral Reefs – 2025: Accelerating the decade of action #ForCoral
• IUCN Congress Motion 037: Fourth global coral bleaching event: urgent action to reduce the risk of catastrophic loss of the world’s coral reefs
• GCRMN Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2025
• Underlying drivers of coral reef vulnerability to bleaching in the Mesoamerican Reef (Muñiz-Castillo et al. 2024)
• Dr. Steve Schill’s Coral Reef Mapping and Monitoring Using Drones presentation during the 6th International Society for Digital Earth lecture series
• Global Tipping Points Report 2025

This webinar is brought to you by the Reef Resilience Network, Coral Reef Alliance, and International Coral Reef Initiative as part of their #ForCoral webinar series, with support from the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.