Coral Reefs News - SciTechDaily

Scientists Sound the Alarm: Record Ocean Heat Puts the Great Barrier Reef in Danger

University of Wollongong — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:09:16 +0000

The Great Barrier Reef is experiencing devastating coral bleaching due to the highest sea temperatures in 400 years, driven by human-induced climate change, with scientists calling for urgent global action. New research indicates the Great Barrier Reef is under critical pressure, with warming sea temperatures and mass coral bleaching events threatening to destroy the remarkable [...]

Can Culebra’s Coral Survive the Climate Crisis?

Adam Voiland, NASA Earth Observatory — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 11:21:27 +0000

Culebra Island, located near Puerto Rico, boasts diverse marine ecosystems with extensive coral reefs protected by various reserves. Despite their ecological importance, these reefs face numerous threats such as pollution, rising sea temperatures, and coastal development. Efforts to monitor and conserve these habitats include NASA’s OCEANOS program, which engages students in marine research and coral [...]

Bioluminescence and Biodiversity: Insights From La Parguera’s Marine Ecosystem

Lindsey Doermann, NASA Earth Observatory — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:48:52 +0000

La Parguera in n Puerto Rico, corals, seagrass, and mangroves paint a colorful Caribbean scene by day, while the waters of a rare bioluminescent bay glow blue at night. Surfers may know the beaches in Puerto Rico’s north and northwest for their big swells and enticing breaks. But the vibe is different around the corner, [...]

Scientists Unveil the Secret Sex Life of Coral

University of Tokyo — Sun, 02 Jun 2024 22:53:17 +0000

A new study utilizing aquarium data has uncovered the key factors that orchestrate mysterious synchronized coral spawning. Corals play an essential role in ocean ecosystems, and like many organisms, they are under threat from climate change and other human activities. To better protect coral, it’s first necessary to understand them, in particular their reproductive life [...]

Tidal Extremes: Ecological Insights From Australia’s Dynamic Montgomery Reef

Adam Voiland, NASA Earth Observatory — Wed, 22 May 2024 06:53:10 +0000

Large tidal swings expose a plateau-shaped reef around Australia’s Yawajaba island at low tide. The Kimberley coast of Western Australia has one of the largest tidal ranges in Australia and the world. At Montgomery Reef, in Collier Bay, water levels drop sharply at low tide, allowing the plateau-shaped reef to emerge several meters above the [...]

Diving Deep Into the Great Barrier Reef’s Hidden Climate Defense

University of Exeter — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 19:00:09 +0000

Researchers reveal that the Great Barrier Reef’s deeper areas are shielded from heatwaves, yet this protection is at risk if global warming persists, stressing the urgency to understand and manage coral reefs against climate change. Some deeper areas of the Great Barrier Reef are insulated from harmful heatwaves – but that protection will be lost [...]

Motion Camouflage: The Remarkable Hunting Tactics of Trumpetfish

University of Cambridge — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 11:11:59 +0000

An experiment on coral reefs provides the first evidence that predators use other animals for motion camouflage to approach their prey without detection. A new study provides the first experimental evidence that the trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculatus, can conceal itself by swimming closely behind another fish while hunting – and reduce the likelihood of being detected [...]

Bleached Out: Heat Stress Cooks Great Barrier Reef

Emily Cassidy, NASA Earth Observatory — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 06:02:40 +0000

Weeks of warmer-than-average ocean temperatures caused extensive bleaching in the world’s largest coral reef system. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been hit by widespread coral bleaching caused by heat stress, government officials confirmed on March 8, 2024. This is the fifth mass bleaching of the reef since 2016. Aerial surveys of over 300 reefs conducted [...]

Hidden Coral Superhighway Discovered in the Indian Ocean

University of Oxford — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 10:00:54 +0000

Recent research has discovered that Seychelles’ remote coral reefs are interconnected through a “coral superhighway,” facilitated by ocean currents, emphasizing the role of larval dispersal in reef health and the importance of informed conservation efforts to ensure reef resilience against climate change. Despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometers, new research has [...]

Coral Bleaching: Catalyst for Microbial Mayhem Below the Surface

University of Hawaii at Manoa — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:00:01 +0000

New findings show that coral bleaching prompts the release of compounds that encourage harmful bacterial growth, suggesting these changes could serve as early indicators of reef stress and aid in conservation efforts. On healthy reefs around the world, corals, algae, fishes and microbes live interconnected and in balance—exchanging nutrients, resources, and chemical signals. New research [...]

Discovering Coral’s Microbial Defenders Against Climate Change

Annie Reisewitz, University of Miami — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 07:03:37 +0000

New research highlights the role of microorganisms in protecting corals from heat stress. Researchers discovered for the first time a single-celled microbe that can help corals survive ocean-warming events like bleaching. The new study, led by scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science and the Institute of Evolutionary [...]

Nature’s Hidden Treasures: New Algae Species Rewrite Scientists’ Understanding of Reef Systems

Griffith University — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 04:04:59 +0000

A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the heart of the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef and unique reefs systems of the Coral Sea and Lord Howe Island, leading to a greater understanding of how the world heritage-listed landmark is protected. An international team of marine scientists, led by Griffith University, has identified and officially named [...]

Climate Change’s Hidden Toll: Coral Bleaching at Record Depths in the Indian Ocean

University of Plymouth — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 19:55:13 +0000

Deep coral bleaching, previously unseen, has been discovered in the Indian Ocean, linked to rising sea temperatures. This challenges prior beliefs about deep coral resilience and underscores the broader impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems. Deep Coral Bleaching in the Indian Ocean Scientists have discovered the deepest known evidence of coral reef bleaching, more [...]

Coral’s Worst Nightmare: Reef-Devouring Predator Survives Bleaching and Feasts on the Survivors

University of Sydney — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 23:16:43 +0000

The crown-of-thorns starfish is nature’s ultimate coral predator that has a circle of life perfectly adapted to warming waters. Research conducted by marine biologists from the University of Sydney has found juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish can withstand tremendous heatwaves well above levels that kill coral. These starfish then develop into carnivorous predators that devour reefs just [...]

Coral Crisis: Massive Accumulation of Heat Stress in Summer 2023

Kathryn Hansen, NASA Earth Observatory — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 20:39:46 +0000

The seas around Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas saw large accumulations of heat stress beginning in summer 2023, with implications for the health of coral reefs. For several months in 2023, global sea surface temperatures reached record-high levels. This surge was fueled by decades of human-caused climate warming and a recent boost from the natural [...]

Scientists Discover Hidden Threat to the Great Barrier Reef

Southern Cross University — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 02:55:36 +0000

Study finds nearly twice the amount of nitrogen is entering the Reef from groundwater compared to river waters. Scientists using natural tracers off Queensland’s coast have discovered the source of previously unquantified nitrogen and phosphorous having a profound environmental impact on the Great Barrier Reef. The findings, published today in Environmental Science and Technology, indicate [...]

Time Is Running Out: Coastal Wetlands Can’t Keep Up With Climate Change, Warns New Study

Tulane University — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 23:04:50 +0000

The survival of marshes and other vulnerable coastal regions hinges on the ability to restrict global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), as outlined in the Paris Agreement. According to a recent study published in Nature, coastal marshlands and coral reef islands may not expand quickly enough to counteract the accelerating sea [...]

Darwin’s Paradox of Coral Reefs Solved – Scientists Unravel Age-Old Mystery

University of Southampton — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 01:21:28 +0000

A new study led by the University of Southampton in the UK has uncovered why coral reefs flourish in waters that appear to be deficient in nutrients, a phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin. The research shows that corals farm and feed on their photosynthetic symbionts – microscopic algae that live inside their [...]

Beating the Heat: Pacific Coral Reef Shows Unprecedented Increase in Climate Resistance

Newcastle University — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:00:42 +0000

Coral reefs in Palau, Pacific Ocean, are showing increased thermal tolerance, potentially reducing future climate change-induced bleaching. However, the study emphasizes the urgent need for global carbon emissions reduction and adherence to the Paris Agreement to protect these vital ecosystems. Coral reefs in one part of the Pacific Ocean appear to have adapted to higher [...]

Super Corals’ Kryptonite: Unveiling the Risks of Selective Adaptation

University of Technology Sydney — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:00:53 +0000

Scientists are studying ‘super corals’ as a potential solution to climate change effects on coral reefs. Despite demonstrating resilience, ‘super corals’ also show reduced genetic diversity and skeletal compromises, highlighting the need for careful consideration in coral restoration efforts. Resilient corals, often referred to as ‘super corals’, have recently been seen as potential saviors in [...]

Scientists Discover Nature’s Secret Weapon Against Coral Bleaching

Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - IIT — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:49:55 +0000

Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – IIT and University of Milan-Bicocca have demonstrated the efficacy of a natural substance in protecting coral from the damage caused by climate change. A recently published study in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces demonstrates the efficacy of curcumin, a natural antioxidant substance extracted from turmeric, in reducing coral [...]

Scientists Were Misled for Decades – New Study Unveils the Deceptive Role of Seaweed in Reef Health

University of British Columbia — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 06:54:02 +0000

Scientists have been using seaweed as an indicator of coral reef health for decades. But what if the seaweed was misleading them? New University of British Columbia research reveals it was, and scientists need new ways to determine whether human activity is harming a particular reef. “This is especially critical today, given that reefs globally are [...]

Climate Change’s Deadly Grip: Coral Disease Prevalence Projected To Skyrocket to 76.8% by 2100

University of New South Wales — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:28:58 +0000

Global warming is leading to the increased spread of deadly coral disease, which, according to new research, is predicted to become endemic to reefs worldwide by the next century. The research, recently published in the journal Ecology Letters, demonstrates the potential severity of climate change impacts on coral health. It warns of the potential eradication [...]

Unseen Intruders: Ancient Viruses Discovered in Coral Symbionts’ DNA

Rice University — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:39:15 +0000

Researchers surprised to find fragments of RNA viruses in coral partners’ genomes. Scientists have discovered ancient RNA virus remnants in the DNA of organisms living within reef-building corals. This unexpected find, detailed in Communications Biology, could provide valuable insights into coral health and viral infections, especially in the context of climate change. An international team [...]