Collaborate Disseminate
In an effort to keep the world’s coral reefs from disappearing forever, a number of reef restoration projects are currently underway … but how can scientists tell if any one of those projects is working? The answer may lie in listening to the reefs.Con… Continue reading Coral reefs’ sound signatures could be used to assess their health
From pit vipers to funnel web spiders, living creatures continue to prove a rich source of medicines with life-saving potential, but some are more forthcoming than others with their powerful compounds and molecules. A 25-year search for another source … Continue reading Soft corals emerge as source of highly potent anti-cancer compound
Rare coral bleaching brought on by abnormal sea temperatures is rapidly becoming the norm on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, which has just experienced its fourth such event in six years. The mass bleaching is said to have affected more than 90 percent… Continue reading Great Barrier Reef endures fourth coral bleaching event in seven years
Sunscreens are known to pose a risk to coral reefs through a common ingredient called oxybenzone, but the precise mechanisms underlying these toxic effects are not well understood. Stanford scientists have now shown how corals convert the compound into… Continue reading Stanford coral study pinpoints cause of sunscreen’s toxic effects
If corals are going to survive on today’s ecologically stressed reefs, they’ve gotta be tough. Scientists have therefore been developing a special “turbo-charged” coral, which has recently been found to be reproducing on the Great Barrier Reef.Continue… Continue reading Special boosted coral is now reproducing on degraded areas of reef
Living coral reefs consist of rigid porous “skeletons” inhabited by the tiny coral polyps that built them. A new research project aims to restore damaged reefs faster than ever, utilizing 3D-printed skeletons made of the same material as the real thing… Continue reading 3D-printed calcium carbonate coral skeletons could help restore reefs
Coral rely on a symbiotic relationship with algae to maintain good health. These algae live in their tissues and provide them with a source of sustenance and their colorful appearance. Severe bleaching events like those seen at Australia’s Great Barrie… Continue reading Scientists make first ever observations of coral cells engulfing algae
The increasing buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reshaping the environment in many ways beyond the ongoing rise of global temperatures. Some major ones relate to the ocean, which is becoming not just warmer but also more acidic, threatenin… Continue reading Ships releasing alkalinizing agents could buy time for Great Barrier Reef
The threat of climate change and warming oceans looms large over the world’s coral reefs, which are struggling to adapt to increasingly inhospitable waters. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a new way we may be able to limi… Continue reading Transplanted coral retains resistance to heat in new environments
Most earthquakes last seconds to minutes, but others will rumble along slowly for days, weeks or even months, at low frequencies that may not be felt at the surface. Now, researchers in Singapore have discovered the slowest earthquake ever found, which… Continue reading Ancient coral reveals world’s slowest earthquake lasted 32 years