Land Bridge Linking Americas Rose Earlier Than Thought

There’s new geologic evidence that the narrow Panama land bridge emerged from the sea 12 million to 15 million years ago, much earlier than thought. This early uplift wreaks havoc with prevailing ideas, which suggest this strip of land established itself just 3 million years ago.

Despite Protections, Miami Port Project Smothers Coral Reef in Silt

The government divers who plunged into the bay near the Port of Miami surfaced with bad news again and again: Large numbers of corals were either dead or dying, suffocated by sediment. The source of the sediment, environmentalists say, is a $205 million dredging project…

Along Cuba’s Coast, The Last Best Coral Reef in the Caribbean Thrives

While coral reef cover has declined by 50 percent throughout the Caribbean, Cuba has managed to retain some of the most pristine coral reef environments on earth. Lack of coastal development, limited tourism, small amounts of runoff flowing into the sea, tight controls on commercial fishing, and the establishment of extensive marine protected areas have all combined to give Cuba the most remarkable coral reef environments in the Caribbean.

Hidden Battles on the Reefs

How do you drown a coral reef? The very idea seems unfathomable for animals that spend their entire lives under water. But the deep ocean is actually riddled with “drowned” coral reefs, the remains of ancient reefs that slipped into the dark ocean depths and starved without sunlight.

Coral Reefs Threatened by Changing Ocean Conditions

Erosion rates increase tenfold in areas where corals are also exposed to high levels of nutrients, according to a study published January 2015 in the journal Geology. As sea level rises, these reefs may have a harder time growing toward the ocean surface, where they get sunlight they need to survive.