Corals store dormant 'seed banks' like forests do
Initially slow, the recovery puzzled scientists in the study, led by marine ecologist Dr Christopher Doropoulos and research co-lead Dr George Roff, together with team members from the University of Queensland and Palau International Coral Reef Center, who expected regeneration to follow traditional patterns, driven by coral spawning events. These events involve the synchronized release of eggs and sperm into the water, leading to the dispersal of coral larvae that settle onto impacted reefs.