Great Barrier Reef suffered worst bleaching on record in 2016
Higher water temperatures in 2016 caused the worst destruction of corals ever recorded on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a study has found.
Can killer robots save ocean ecosystems?
Few predators can match the devastating impact of the lion fish. Since arriving in US waters in the 1980s, these fearsome creatures have left a trail of destruction along the Atlantic Coast, from Rhode Island to Venezuela. Lionfish can reduce a flourishing coral reef to barren wasteland in a matter of weeks.
Pacific Ocean’s hidden wonders revealed on dive to underwater volcano
Scientists believe they have identified a new species of coral and found a rare Dumbo octopus during an expedition 3,000ft (900m) down in the Pacific Ocean.
Hiding in plain sight: Vast reef found hiding behind Great Barrier Reef
James Cook University, University of Sydney and Queensland University of Technology scientists working with laser data from the Royal Australian Navy have discovered a vast reef behind the familiar Great Barrier Reef.
World’s deepest blue hole found in South China Sea
A new exploration of a legendary blue hole in the South China Sea has found that the underwater feature is the deepest known on Earth.
The Great Barrier Reef: a catastrophe laid bare
Australia’s natural wonder is in mortal danger. Bleaching caused by climate change has killed almost a quarter of its coral this year and many scientists believe it could be too late for the rest. Using photographs and new data, a Guardian special report investigates how the reef has been devastated – and what can be done to save it.
Great Barrier Reef Near Whitsunday Islands
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef system on Earth, with more than 3,000 separate reefs and coral cays. It is also one of the most complex natural ecosystems, with 600 types of corals and thousands of animal species from tiny planktons to whales.
Continental drift created biologically diverse coral reefs
An international research team has studied the geographical pattern of the evolution of corals and reef fish. Their findings show that today’s geographical distribution of tropical marine diversity is the result of 100 million years of Earth history and the continental drifts that shifted the position of shallow reef habitats.
Florida’s coral reefs rapidly ‘wasting away’ under stress of climate change
Accelerated acidification of coastal waters has brought about structural decline of only reef in continental US, initially pegged by scientists at around 2050