Bleaching can make corals more susceptible to diseaseOctober 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have found that bleaching can make corals more susceptible to disease and, in turn, coral disease can exacerbate the negative effects of bleaching. "Traditionally, scientists have attributed coral declines after mass bleaching events to the bleaching only," said Marilyn Brandt, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Miami and the lead author on the research paper.
Hawaii researchers explore previously unseen deep coral reef areas, find juvenile fish nurserySeptember 8th, 2009 Hawaii researchers explore previously unseen coralHONOLULU — Scientists over the past month explored coral reefs in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands that until recently were considered too deep for scuba divers to reach. Divers swam among previously unseen reefs as deep as 250 feet during a monthlong research trip to the islands by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel Hiialakai.
Mediterranean algae lost their tropical element between 5 and 7 mln yrs agoJuly 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has suggested that Coralline algae in the Mediterranean Sea lost their tropical element between 5 and 7 million years ago. The international team of researchers studied the coralline algae fossils that lived on the last coral reefs of the Mediterranean Sea between 7.24 and 5.3 million years ago.
Great Barrier Reef may be gone in 20 years, warns scientistJuly 7th, 2009 LONDON - An eminent marine scientist has warned that the Great Barrier Reef will be so degraded by warming waters that it will be gone within 20 years. "There is no way out, no loopholes.
Corals show remarkable loyalty to their homeJune 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A recent study by Australian biologist Jim Underwood has found that despite the fact that corals cast their eggs and sperm haphazardly into the oceans, certain species of coral show remarkable loyalty to their home range. Underwood sampled DNA from coral reefs in the Indiana Ocean and found that individual corals located in the same group of reefs are more closely related than previously thought.
World's corals face danger as global warming whips up powerful stormsJune 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new scientific study has found that as global warming whips up more powerful and frequent hurricanes and storms, the world's coral reefs face increased disruption to their ability to breed and recover from damage. "We have found clear evidence that coral recruitment - the regrowth of young corals - drops sharply in the wake of a major bleaching event or a hurricane," said lead study author Dr Jennie Mallela of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Australian National University.
Banning certain fishing gear can help save world's coral reefs from climate changeJune 18th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that banning or restricting the use of certain types of fishing gear could help the world's coral reefs and their fish populations survive the onslaughts of climate change. The study was carried out by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and other groups.
21st century Noah's Ark may help save coral reefs from extinctionJune 6th, 2009 LONDON - Marine scientists have painted a grim picture of the future, where the 21st century equivalent of Noah's Ark would be needed to save coral reefs from extinction. According to a report in the Times, marine scientists such as Alex Rogers, of the Institute of Zoology, London, warn that unless drastic changes are made, the only way that the rainforests of the sea will survive is through radical intervention such as transplanting them to a Noah's Ark of enormous seawater tanks.
Coral reefs more resistant to seaweed than previously thoughtJune 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study by a team of marine scientists from the US and Australia has suggested that coral reefs appear to be more resistant to seaweed than previously thought. Their study is the first global-scale analysis of thousands of surveys of individual reefs - in all, more than 3,500 examinations of about 1,800 reefs performed between 1996 and 2006.
Heat-tolerant coral reefs may survive global warmingMay 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Stanford University scientists have found evidence that some coral reefs are adapting to the climate change and may actually survive global warming. "Corals are certainly threatened by environmental change, but this research has really sparked the notion that corals may be tougher than we thought," said Stephen Palumbi, a professor of biology and a senior fellow at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment.
Caribbean's predatory fishes decline as human populations riseMay 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists have found that sharks, barracuda and other large predatory fishes disappear on Caribbean coral reefs as human populations rise, endangering the region's marine food web and ultimately its reefs and fisheries. The study was done by researcher Chris Stallings of The Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory.
'Super reefs' near East Africa can fend off climate changeApril 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that some coral reefs off East Africa are unusually resilient to climate change, and can be termed as 'super reefs'. The study, conducted by researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), showed that the reefs have become super tough due to improved fisheries management and a combination of geophysical factors.
Hawaii's coral bed is over 4,000 years old, say researchersMarch 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Hawaii's deep-sea corals are more than 4,000 years old, making them one of the oldest living organisms on earth, say researchers. The study, conducted by the researchers from the Texas A&M University, California University and the Australian National University, found that one of the coral species was about 4,265 years old.
Coral reefs may start dissolving when CO2 doublesMarch 12th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, scientists have determined that if carbon dioxide (CO2) reaches double pre-industrial levels, coral reefs can be expected to not just stop growing, but also to begin dissolving all over the world. The study, by researchers at the Carnegie Institution and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, points out that the impact on reefs is a consequence of both ocean acidification caused by the absorption of CO2 into seawater and rising water temperatures.
Coral reefs on way to recovery after tsunamiJanuary 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Coral reefs are on the way to recovery in areas of Indonesia, following the tsunami that devastated coastal regions throughout the Indian Ocean on Dec 26, 2004. The New York based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) working with Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (ARCCoERS), has documented high densities of 'baby corals' in areas that were severely impacted by the tsunami.
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