Neighbor‑assisted coral recovery

A newly replicated study shows that bleached corals recover rapidly if placed in direct contact with healthy conspecifics that donate their symbiotic algae (Symbiodiniaceae), producing full recovery in weeks rather than years. This contact‑mediated symbiont transfer can be combined with nurseries, selective breeding, and frozen‑bank interventions to accelerate reef restoration at scale. — If scalable, neighbour‑assisted recovery changes restoration priorities and funding: low‑tech, high‑impact interventions could complement climate mitigation and reshape coastal conservation policy.