Yet corals may be hardier than biologists have thought .

但是珊瑚也许比生物学家想得要更坚强。

Those sour seas slow the growth of corals .

酸性的海水减缓了珊瑚礁的生长。

Other experts on corals and climate are not convinced .

然而其他的珊瑚和气候方面的专家并不承认。

The corals familiar to most of us are colonies of small polyps that build calcium carbonate branches .

我们所熟知的珊瑚都是由群集的微小水螅分泌的分枝状碳酸钙外骨骼。

Damage to corals could also reduce the coastal protection from storms that reefs currently provide .

珊瑚的破坏也会降低其海岸防护作用，降低对由暗礁引起的风暴的抵挡作用。