Growing a better coral for a warmer planet

Winning a $10,000 research prize is only the first step for a University of Hawaii scientist who proposes breeding "super coral" that can survive in ocean waters made warmer and more acidic by climate change. Ruth Gates of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology submitted the concept with a colleague in Australia; the duo won the "Ocean Challenge: Mitigating Acidification Impacts" contest. Now they must submit a full proposal to win much more funding for the breeding experiments to actually occur; the research could ultimately cost millions.

Anti-GMO activists can rest easy, by the way. Gates isn’t planning to inject alternate DNA into coral to make it hardier. The process she envisions is more akin to dog breeding; certain innate traits are emphasized through the generations. Who knows, maybe Gates will figure out how to grow coral that’s molasses-resistant, too.

A little efficiency goes a long way

Government should operate like a business, critics say. While government is not precisely comparable to a business, there’s something to wishing for a greater measure of efficiency. Usually, it’s like wishing on a star.

Now those canceled school bus routes have been restored, thanks to a plan implemented by the Department of Education. Revamped bus contracts and new technology enabling more efficient routing were key to the pilot project, which now will be expanded.

How about that: We got our wish!