Algae study suggests coral could survive moderate climate change

Some corals could adapt to climate change by swapping algae that live inside their tissue for types that are more tolerant to warmer oceans, a new study published on Monday said.

The phenomenon of bleaching – when algae is expelled from overheated tissue – makes the coral more susceptible to disease and death.

The microscopic algae are the corals’ primary food source and give them their colour.

But researchers from the US found that coral could survive moderate climate change depending on the type of algae present, a report in the journal Nature Climate Change found.

Previous studies have shown that algae could return to bleached coral within weeks if conditions improved, which in turn could make coral more tolerant to environmental changes.

The study modelled the response of coral to four climate scenarios.

It found that tolerance levels could be affected by the type of algae present, which themselves could adapt to environmental changes.

The findings could be used to help conserve coral in the future, said the researchers,

Reefs are at increased risk as temperatures increase.

Severe coral bleaching affected the central third of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest reef system, in 2016 and 2017 because of unusually warm sea temperatures off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.