Race is on to produce a super-coral to survive world’s warming seas

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is one of the worst affected sites for coral bleaching. Photograph: WaterFrame/Alamy

It is one of the least understood processes in nature. How do two very different species learn to live with each other and create a bond, known as symbiosis, which can give them a powerful evolutionary advantage?

Coral reefs are the most spectacular manifestations of symbiosis – and understanding the mechanics of this mutual endeavour has become an urgent task as global warming has triggered the widespread collapse of reefs across the planet.