The strongest corals in the world Bashny.Net

"They do not just survive, they thrive," - says marine biologist, who is trying to figure out how they do it, for the expedition from March 18 to April 7. In fact, they are growing faster than the same look elsewhere & quot ;, says Steven Palumbo from Stanford University.

The study of the so-called heat-resistant corals can help scientists find ways to protect these and other corals which are threatened with extinction, as climate change warms the oceans.

Coral reefs are an important part of the marine habitat. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they are home to many species of fish that we eat damper coast from the effects of storms, the source of drugs and attract divers.

"Our research is aimed at finding the corals, the most resistant to the negative effects of high temperature and determination at the molecular genetic level, how they do it" - says Palumbo.

To test the strength of corals, scientists will use a computer-controlled aquarium that will allow them to increase the water temperature to the exact point. They put the corals from different places in the localization of the so-called stress coral tank, increase the temperature and track which of the corals will survive, and which turn white and die. Coral bleaching happens when symbiotic of them recovered and photosynthetic algae that live in their tissues. Typically, this is a sign of stress.

The first part of the expedition will be held on the island of Ofu American Samoa, and from there they will travel to the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.