Credit: John Cahil Rom from Pexels As global warming accelerates, extreme heat waves are causing widespread death of tropical reef corals. Most corals rely on tiny algae cells living within their tissues that photosynthesize and produce energy. Corals use this energy to build their skeletons that create the reef structure. In our warming world, evolution of heat wave tolerance will be critical for coral populations to persist. Natural adaptation occurs over many generations and is probably already under way . But these adaptation rates could be outpaced by ocean warming . Scientists and reef managers are now calling for "assisted evolution" to help accelerate adaptation . One promising approach is selective breeding to enhance heat wave tolerance. Our new study explores how such interventions could help corals withstand future heat waves.…