Coral Reefs might have the ability to regulate the temperature by creating their own clouds. First reported here, researchers (Graham Jones, Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia, and colleagues) working on the Great Barrier Reef near the Australian coast discovered that the corals are full of Dimethyl Sulphide (DMS), which aerosolize in air. Water vapors condense on these aerosol particles, leading to cloud formation. This can have a large impact on the local climate. DMS is also produced by marine algae (especially Coccolithophorids), which gives the ocean its smell.

Great Barrier Reef (Courtesy: DoAustralia.com)An intriguing possibility is related to the Gaia hypothesis, which asserts that life on earth interacts with the environment in order to keep itself healthy. Under this hypothesis, the corals would maximize their well-being by regulating the temperature. In the long run, only those species that can coax the nature in this manner will be successful. Therefore, the evolutionary process is not only life adapting itself to its surroundings, but also nudging the environment to become more amenable to life's survival.