Tricolour coral assemblage in Lakshadweep offers climate adaptation insights

Under the sea near a small island called Minicoy in Lakshadweep, India, scientists found something amazing — corals that look like a flag, with orange, white, and green colours.

A scientist named Alvin Anto took a photo of them while searching for marine mammals.

The corals are called Lobophyllia corymbosa and Lobophyllia radians.

Scientists noticed something very interesting: two corals of the same kind were growing right next to each other.

One of them had turned white because it lost the tiny plants living inside it that give corals food and colour.

The other one stayed healthy and green.

This happens because warm ocean water stresses corals, and some corals can handle it better than others.

Scientists want to learn from these corals so they can help protect and repair reefs.

The institute that studies fish, called CMFRI, is also building artificial reefs and breeding sea animals to help the ocean stay healthy.

This colourful discovery reminds us to protect fragile coral ecosystems in a warming world.