Scientists are attempting to create evolved forms of today's coral reefs in an effort to save them from the harsh affects of global warming and higher levels of acidic water, according to the Guardian.
Coral reefs face the threat of bleaching - a process in which the reefs expel an algae that results in the plants turning a white or yellowish color. Bleaching is a sign that the coral reef is not healthy and on the verge of death.
Experts estimate that unless something is done, environmentally important coral reef will die out, meaning trouble for the planet.
"The bleaching has intensified and got much more serious," said Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.
It has been reported that about 30 percent of the world's coral reef population has already been destroyed.
Gates and her team are using what is called "assisted evolution," which involves speeding up or altering a species' evolutionary path to bring out certain traits, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
In this case, Gates and her team took coral with strong genetic traits and exposed them to slightly harsher environments in hopes that when they breed, the offspring will carry on the stronger genes, according to USA Today.
"We've given them experiences that we think are going to raise their ability to survive stress," said Gates.
