Coral reefs

Sea surface temperature anomalies off the coast of eastern Australia on March 4, 2024, based on data from the Multi-scale Ultra-high Resolution Sea Surface Temperature) project.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…

CLIMATEWIRE | A niche financial tool is making it easier to repair critical ecosystems after natural disasters — and protect at-risk communities from future extreme weather.The Nature Conservancy announced this week that it has expanded its parametric insurance policy for Hawaii's coral reefs, guaranteeing a sizable payout if a storm of a certain caliber hits nearby. The idea is now gaining steam in other parts of the world, from Fiji to Mexico.In Hawaii, the funds would be used to remove debris and reattach broken pieces…

Researchers diving on a coral reef in Mo’orea, French Polynesia during the 2019 bleaching event. Credit: Milou Arts of NIOZNew 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 led by the…

Researchers have identified a single-celled microbe that aids coral survival during ocean-warming events, like bleaching. This study reveals the critical role of specific protists in the coral microbiome in determining a coral’s ability to withstand heat stress. Credit: SciTechDaily.comNew 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…

A groundbreaking discovery by Griffith University researchers reveals four new algae species in the Great Barrier Reef, reshaping our understanding of their ecological importance and highlighting the urgency of conservation efforts amidst climate change threats.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…

Over the last five decades, we’ve burned enough coal, gas and oil, cut down enough trees, and produced enough other emissions to trap some six billion Hiroshima bombs’ worth of heat inside the climate system. Shockingly, though, only 1 percent of that heat has ended up in the atmosphere. As extreme as the “global weirding” we’re experiencing today is—people broiling under weeks of heat waves, wildfire smoke turning the skies orange, crops withering in prolonged drought, intense downpours inundating homes—most of it…

There’s a new, ancient coral reef in town, and it’s magnificent. Scientists working to survey the deep ocean surrounding the Galápagos Islands discovered a never-before-observed reef complex, hundreds of meters below the sea surface. And, despite the current, sorry state of corals across the world’s marine ecosystems, this newly documented (but likely very old) reef appears to be thriving.“The reef is pristine and teeming with life,” said Michelle Taylor, a deep-sea marine biologist at the University of Essex and one of…

CLIMATEWIRE | A huge computer simulation showing ocean circulation patterns has given scientists new hope that some coral reefs might escape the damaging effects of global warming. A new study — based on a long-term project called "Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean," or ECCO — has shown that little-known underwater waves called “gravity waves” may be plentiful enough to help scientists preserve existing reefs and help the polyps create new ones. “It’s what I hope will be the main takeaway from this…

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system.Gif: Australian Institute of Marine Science/GizmodoThe bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most upsetting examples of how climate change is wreaking havoc on the natural wonders of our planet. But research from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) indicates that some parts of the coral reef currently have the highest coral cover since record-keeping began nearly four decades ago.As ocean waters warm, the Great Barrier Reef has…

Alongside their natural beauty, coral reefs have an important role to play in the natural world. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, around one quarter of the ocean's fish rely on healthy coral reefs.Reinhard Dirscherl | Ullstein Bild | Getty ImagesDanish energy firm Orsted plans to try growing corals on the foundations of offshore wind turbines to find out if the method can be carried out on a larger scale.In hand with Taiwanese partners, the concept will be trialed in "the tropical waters…