Coral reef bleaching has been a recurring theme in headlines in recent years as our oceans’ most diverse ecosystems struggle with marine heatwaves and warming waters, but a team of researchers found a surprisingly simple defense against this growing threat: underwater umbrellas.

Just like how humans might seek shelter under a parasol on a hot day, providing shade to corals residing at the seafloor can add a level of protection against sunlight, which can worsen coral bleaching. 

(MORE: Coral Reefs Are Dying And Losing Their Color. This Is The Reason Why.)

By installing canopies made of PVC pipes and shade cloth, researchers reduced the amount of sunlight reaching covered corals in the Florida Keys by 60% while still allowing enough sun to feed the algae that live on and provide food for the corals.  

While these canopies reduce the impact of sunlight on coral bleaching, they do not protect the corals from cumulative heat stress from the warm water surrounding them, making this only a partial solution to the overall problem.

 (MORE: Coral reefs secret weapon to surviving marine heatwaves)

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But it is a solution all the same; corals protected by the canopies stayed darker and recovered faster than those exposed to full sun, even during one of the worst marine heat waves for the region on record.

The importance of coral reefs

It may be obvious that coral reefs are important to our oceans, with roughly 25% of the oceans’ fish species rely on healthy coral reefs, but those reefs are also incredibly important for humans.

Coral reef tourism is estimated to contribute to $36 billion to the global economy every year, and healthy reefs provide and maintain destinations above and below water, with parrotfish helping to produce the sand on beautiful beaches for anyone who isn’t heading below the waves.

Coral reefs are also key sources of food and protection for coastal communities thanks to fishing and reefs’ ability to reduce the intensity of waves reaching the shoreline.

Now, coral reef bleaching events are happening more frequently and becoming more severe and the strengthening El Niño could cause extra stress to these essential ecosystems immediately following the largest global coral bleaching event to date.

Corals are resilient and can even recover from being completely bleached, but reefs are entering a new era of warm waters and repeated bleaching stressors.

A little assistance can go a long way to keeping them healthy, especially when it’s something as providing a little shade.

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.