Can Soft Coral Save Our Oceans?
New research has uncovered the protective properties of soft coral tissue, which proved resilient when exposed to declining oceanic pH levels, and may provide a new approach toward preserving the harder, calcified reef foundations.
Kiribati Bans Fishing in One of World’s Largest Marine Parks
A tiny island nation, about halfway between Hawaii and Fiji, that controls a vast area of the Pacific Ocean has announced it will ban all commercial fishing in a massive marine park that is the size of California.
New Insights Into The Dynamics Between Reef Corals And Their Algae
Caribbean corals and the algae that inhabit them form a remarkably stable relationship, new knowledge that can serve as an important tool in preserving and restoring vital reef-building corals..
Close-Up Of Coral Bleaching Event
Ecologists have shed light on exactly what happens to coral during periods of excessively high water temperatures.
Coral Reefs are Critical for Risk Reduction & Adaptation
Stronger storms, rising seas, and flooding are placing hundreds of millions people at risk around the world, and big part of the solution to decrease those risks is just off shore. A new study finds that coral reefs reduce the wave energy that would otherwise impact coastlines by 97 percent.
Some Corals Are Adjusting To Rising Ocean Temperatures
Research led by Stanford scientist Steve Palumbi reveals how some corals can quickly switch on or off certain genes in order to survive in warmer-than-average tidal waters.
Lionfish Decimating Caribbean Reefs
The lionfish, believed to have been introduced to the Atlantic coast by aquarium lovers in the 1980s, will likely wipe out most Caribbean reef fish in a decade or two. As a result, many corals that depend on herbivore fish will die and eventually turn to rubble, making shorelines more vulnerable to waves just as global warming is lifting sea levels.
New Fiery-Red Coral Species Discovered in Peruvian Pacific
In the clear waters off the coast of Peru, researchers have found a stunning new red coral species that was not previously described by scientists.
Living Cold-Water Coral Reef Discovered Off Greenland
By sheer coincidence, Canadian researchers have discovered a reef of living cold-water corals in southern Greenland. There are several species of coral in Greenland, but this is the first time that an actual reef has been found.