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.
Coral Reveals Long-Term Link Between Pacific Winds, Global Climate
New research indicates that shifts in Pacific trade winds played a key role in twentieth century climate variation and are likely again influencing global temperatures. The study uses a novel method of analyzing coral chemistry to reveal winds from a century ago.
Great Barrier Reef at Risk from Rushed Sediment Dumping Plan at Abbot Point
A plan to dump dredged sediment onto a sensitive wetlands area beside the Great Barrier Reef near Abbot Point would lead to much more slurry being pumped into the waters of the reef than officially estimated, a report has warned.
Acidic Oceans Could Quiet Coral Reefs
Scientists have been monitoring underwater sounds for decades, in part because sound propagates so efficiently underwater. But in the past 10 years, scientists have started exploring how sonic cues influence fish behavior and give a snapshot of reef health and biodiversity.
Extinction Risk Not the Answer for Reef Futures
Leading coral reef scientists say there needs to be a new approach to protecting the future of marine ecosystems, with a shift away from the current focus on extinction threat
Great Barrier Reef Dangers: Unesco Says Australia is Listening at Last
The head of Unesco says the Australian government has started to listen to international concerns over the health of the Great Barrier Reef, raising hopes that it will avoid receiving an embarrassing “in danger” listing next year.
Scientists on NOAA-Led Mission Discover New Coral Species Off California
A NOAA-led research team has discovered a new species of deep-sea coral and a nursery area for catsharks and skates in the underwater canyons located close to the Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries off the Sonoma coast.
Belize Fights to Save a Crucial Barrier Reef
Home to the second longest barrier reef in the world and the largest in the Western Hemisphere, Belize has long been acutely aware of the need to protect its marine resources from both human and natural activities.