ScienceDaily: Coral Reef News

Abundance and distribution of Hawaiian coral species predicted by model

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:57:57 EDT

Researchers have developed species distribution models of the six dominant Hawaiian coral species around the main Hawaiian Islands, including two species currently under consideration as threatened or endangered.

First ever underwater university lectures

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:57:57 EDT

Students at the University of Essex have taken their lectures to a whole new level -- 18 metres under the sea in remote Indonesia to be precise.

Coral reef fishes prove invaluable in the study of evolutionary ecology

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

Coral reef fish species have proven invaluable for experimental testing of key concepts in social evolution and already have yielded insights about the ultimate reasons for female reproductive suppression, group living, and bidirectional sex change.

Cooling ocean temperature could buy more time for coral reefs

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:28:28 EDT

Limiting the amount of warming experienced by the world's oceans in the future could buy some time for tropical coral reefs, say researchers.

Microbes capture, store, and release nitrogen to feed reef-building coral

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:54 EDT

Microscopic algae that live within reef-forming corals scoop up available nitrogen, store the excess in crystal form, and slowly feed it to the coral as needed, according to a study published in mBio.

Corals turn to algae for stored food when times get tough

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:54 EDT

Researchers present new evidence for the crucial role of algae in the survival of their coral hosts. Ultra-high resolution images reveal that the algae temporarily store nutrients as crystals, building up reserves for when supplies run low.

Coral reefs suffering, but collapse not inevitable

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:34:34 EDT

Coral reefs are in decline, but their collapse can still be avoided with local and global action. That's according to findings based on an analysis that combines the latest science on reef dynamics with the latest climate models.

Insights into deadly coral bleaching could help preserve reefs: Surprising result from study of 1893 World's Fair corals

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:51:51 EDT

Coral reefs are stressed because of climate change. Researchers have discovered corals themselves play a role in their susceptibility to deadly coral bleaching due to the light-scattering properties of their skeletons. No one else has shown this before. Using optical technology designed for early cancer detection, the researchers discovered that reef-building corals scatter light in different ways to the symbiotic algae that feed the corals.

Human shadow cast over the Caribbean slows coral growth

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:16:16 EDT

Striking Caribbean sunsets occur when particles in the air scatter incoming sunlight. But a particulate shadow over the sea may have effects underwater. A research team has linked airborne particles caused by volcanic activity and air pollution to episodes of slow coral-reef growth.

Air pollution stunts coral growth

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 13:32:32 EDT

A new study has found that pollution from fine particles in the air -- mainly the result of burning coal or volcanic eruptions -- can shade corals from sunlight and cool the surrounding water resulting in reduced growth rates.

Remote coral reefs can be tougher than they look: Western Australia’s Scott Reef has recovered from mass bleaching

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:45:45 EDT

Isolated coral reefs can recover from catastrophic damage as effectively as those with nearby undisturbed neighbors, a long-term study by marine biologists has shown. Scott Reef, a remote coral system in the Indian Ocean, has largely recovered from a catastrophic mass bleaching event in 1998, according to the study.

Hope for Galapagos wildlife threatened by marine invaders

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:20:20 EDT

Increasing tourism and the spread of marine invasive non-native species is threatening the unique plant and marine life around the Galapagos Islands.

Fluorescent light revealed as gauge of coral health: Mysterious glow of light found to correlate with coral stress prior to bleaching

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:29:29 EDT

Coral reef decline in recent years due to a variety of threats -- from pollution to climate warming -- has lent urgency to the search for new ways to evaluate their health. A new study has revealed that fluorescence, the dazzling but poorly understood light produced by corals, can be an effective tool for gauging their health.

New marine species discovered in Pacific Ocean

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:54:54 EST

An international expedition in Papua New Guinea has found a new species of sea slugs, feather stars and amphipods, a shrimp-like animal.

New maps depict potential worldwide coral bleaching by 2056

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:20:20 EST

New maps by scientists show how rising sea temperatures are likely to affect all coral reefs in the form of annual coral bleaching events under different emission scenarios. If carbon emissions stay on the current path most of the world's coral reefs (74 percent) are projected to experience coral bleaching conditions annually by 2045, results of the study show.

Conserving corals by understanding their genes

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 19:40:40 EST

In reef-building corals variations within genes involved in immunity and response to stress correlate to water temperature and clarity, finds a new study. This information could be used to conserve or rebuild reefs in areas affected by climate change, by changes in extreme weather patterns, increasing sedimentation or altered land use.

Picky eater fish clean up seaweeds from coral reefs

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:44:44 EST

Using underwater video cameras to record fish feeding on South Pacific coral reefs, scientists have found that herbivorous fish can be picky eaters – a trait that could spell trouble for endangered reef systems.

How new corals species form in the ocean

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:23:23 EST

Biological sciences professors have investigated how corals specialize to particular environments in the ocean. They propose that the large dispersal potential of coral larvae in open water and the proximity of different species on the ocean floor creates a mystery for researchers who study speciation, asking, "How can new marine species emerge without obvious geographic isolation?"

Tortugas Marine Reserve yields more, larger fish

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:46:46 EST

Both fish populations and commercial and recreational anglers have benefited from "no-take" protections in the Tortugas Ecological Reserve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a new report shows.

Coral-killing starfish decimate entire coral reefs, reason for spread unclear

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:41:41 EST

Acanthaster planci is the principle natural enemy of reef-building corals. Outbreaks of this coral-feeding starfish occur periodically, due to reasons that remain unclear. It decimates entire reefs in the space of just a few years, as has been the case in French Polynesia since 2004.

How do corals survive in the hottest reefs on the planet?

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 09:04:04 EST

Coral reefs are predicted to decline under the pressure of global warming. However, a number of coral species can survive at seawater temperatures even higher than predicted for the tropics during the next century. How they survive, while most species cannot, is being investigated.

New evidence highlights threat to Caribbean coral reef growth: Many Caribbean coral reefs are starting to erode

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:14:14 EST

Coral reefs build their structures by both producing and accumulating calcium carbonate, and this is essential for the maintenance and continued vertical growth capacity of reefs. Researchers have discovered that the amount of new carbonate being added by Caribbean coral reefs is now significantly below rates measured over recent geological timescales, and in some habitats is as much as 70 percent lower.

How the purple and pink sunscreens of reef corals work

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:41:41 EST

New research has found a mechanism as to how corals use their pink and purple hues as sunscreen to protect them against harmful sunlight. Many reef corals need light to survive, as they benefit from sugars and lipids that are produced by their light-dependent symbiotic algae. However, in the shallow water of coral reefs, light levels are often higher than required by the corals, so paradoxically, the vital sunlight can become harmful for the algae and their hosts.

Heat-resistant corals provide clues to climate change survival

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:18:18 EST

In a future shaped by climate change, only the strong -- or heat-resistant -- will survive. A new study opens a window into a genetic process that allows some corals to withstand unusually high temperatures and may hold a key to species survival for organisms around the world.

Injured coral? Expect less sex

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:25:25 EST

Researchers have found that damaged coral colonies can take years to recover their reproductive prowess. Coral colonies that suffered tissue damage in the Bahamas were still producing low numbers of eggs four years after the injuries occurred.

Scary news for corals -- from the Ice Age

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 09:32:32 EST

There is growing scientific concern that corals could retreat from equatorial seas and oceans as the Earth continues to warm, marine researchers have warned. Working on clues in the fossil coral record from the last major episode of global warming, the period between the last two ice ages about 125,000 years ago, the researchers found evidence of a sharp decline in coral diversity near the equator.

International trade in live corals could help preserve wild corals and coral reefs ecosystems, study suggests

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 09:49:49 EST

Researchers have published findings about a unique trade and its long-term implications.

An ocean away: Two new encrusting anemones found in unexpected locations

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:35:35 EST

A group of marine biologists from Japan has discovered two new species of encrusting anemone, thousands of kilometers away from the single other known species of the group. The first species from Madagascar was found in 1972 and never reported again, while the new species are from the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and southern Japan.

New crab species discovered off the coast of Belize

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:39:39 EST

Areopaguristes tudgei is a new species of hermit crab recently discovered on the barrier reef off the coast of Belize.

Scientists improve dating of early human settlement

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:28:28 EST

Archaeologists have significantly narrowed down the time frame during which the last major chapter in human colonization, the Polynesian triangle, occurred.

Naïve fish: Easy targets for spear fishers

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:25:25 EST

Big fish that have grown up in marine reserves don't seem to know enough to avoid fishers armed with spear guns waiting outside the reserve. The latest research by an Australian team working in the Philippines into the effects of marine reserves has found there is an unexpected windfall awaiting fishers who obey the rules and respect reserve boundaries -- in the form of big, innocent fish wandering out of the reserve.

Corals attacked by toxic seaweed use chemical 911 signals to summon help from fish

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:27:27 EST

Corals under attack by toxic seaweed do what anyone might do when threatened -- they call for help. A new study shows that threatened corals send signals to fish "bodyguards" that quickly respond to trim back the noxious alga -- which can kill the coral if not promptly removed.

Historic coral collapse on Great Barrier Reef

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:44:44 EST

Australian marine scientists have unearthed evidence of an historic coral collapse in Queensland's Palm Islands following development on the nearby mainland. Cores taken through the coral reef at Pelorus Island confirm a healthy community of branching Acropora corals flourished for centuries before European settlement of the area, despite frequent floods and cyclone events. Then, between 1920 and 1955, the branching Acropora failed to recover.

Sweden’s only coral reef at risk of dying

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:01:01 EDT

Sweden's only remaining cold-water coral reef, the Säcken reef in the Koster Fjord, is under threat of extinction. Because of that, researchers from the University of Gothenburg have started a restoration project where healthy corals from nearby reefs in Norway are being removed and placed on the Säcken reef.

Corals and food security: Study shows nations at risk

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:28:28 EDT

A new study identifies countries most vulnerable to declining coral reef fisheries from a food-security perspective while providing a framework to plan for alternative protein sources needed to replace declining fisheries.

Too much helpful algae can be bad for corals

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 16:29:29 EDT

Having too many algal symbionts makes corals bleach more severely in response to global warming, a new study shows.

Fisheries benefit from 400-year-old tradition

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:37:37 EDT

Coral reefs in Aceh, Indonesia are benefiting from a decidedly low-tech, traditional management system that dates back to the 17th century, new research shows.

New cave-dwelling reef coral discovered in the Indo-Pacific

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 09:06:06 EDT

A new species of reef coral is discovered, which lives on the ceilings of dark caves. Its closest relatives are larger, have symbiotic algae in their soft tissue and need sunlight to grow. The new species lacks such algae and its tissue is colorless. When other reef coral species lose their algae, they may die, a recurring disease known as coral bleaching.

What might have caused recent increase of coral diseases in the Caribbean?

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:21:21 EDT

Marine diseases are killing coral populations all over the world, threatening the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on reefs for food and protection from storms. Are these diseases new and unprecedented infections, or do they erupt from the stresses of environmental change?

It's not too late for coral reefs, experts say

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:20:20 EDT

Coral reefs – ecosystems of incredible environmental and economic value – are showing evidence of significant degradation, but do not have to be doomed. We can make a difference, researchers say.

Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral in the last 27 years

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 09:41:41 EDT

The Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral cover in the last 27 years. The loss was due to storm damage (48%), crown of thorns starfish (42%), and bleaching (10%), according to a new study by researchers in Australia.

Scientists capture clues to sustainability of fish populations

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:15:15 EDT

Thanks to studies of a fish that gives birth to live young and is not fished commercially, scientists have discovered that food availability is a critical limiting factor in the health of fish populations.

Coral hotspots found in deepwater canyons off northeast US coast

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:45:45 EDT

For the first time in decades, researchers have conducted an extensive exploration for deep-sea corals and sponges in submarine canyons off the northeastern coast of the US. The survey revealed coral "hotspots," and found that a new coral habitat suitability model could help predict where corals are likely to occur.

Climate is changing the Great Barrier Reef

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:25:25 EDT

Satellite measurement of sea surface temperatures has yielded clear evidence of major changes taking place in the waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef over the past 25 years, marine scientists have found.

DNA analysis aids in classifying single-celled algae

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:05:05 EDT

For nearly 260 years -- since Carl Linnaeus developed his system of naming plants and animals -- researchers classified species based on visual attributes like color, shape and size. In the past few decades, researchers found that sequencing DNA can more accurately identify species. A group of single-celled algae -- Symbiodinum -- that live inside corals and are critical to their survival -- are only now being separated into species using DNA analysis, according to biologists.

The 'slippery slope to slime': Overgrown algae causing coral reef declines

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:54:54 EDT

Researchers for the first time have confirmed some of the mechanisms by which overfishing and nitrate pollution can help destroy coral reefs -- it appears they allow an overgrowth of algae that can bring with it unwanted pathogens, choke off oxygen and disrupt helpful bacteria.

Osteoporosis in the world's oceans: Bioeroding sponges are threatening coral reefs

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:29:29 EDT

Due to the massive production of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, our oceans are becoming increasingly acidic. Scientists studied the consequences of ocean acidification on sponges that bore into calcareous materials such as coral skeletons. Results show that these sponges will profit from global changes, while coral reefs are threatened in their survival.

Most coral reefs are at risk unless climate change is drastically limited, study shows

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 16:09:09 EDT

Coral reefs face severe challenges even if global warming is restricted to the two degrees Celsius commonly perceived as safe for many natural and human-made systems. Warmer sea surface temperatures are likely to trigger more frequent and more intense mass coral bleaching events.

Tracking fish through a coral reef seascape: Ear-bone 'tree rings' provide evidence of connectivity

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:40:40 EDT

Ocean scientists have long known that juvenile coral reef fishes use coastal seagrass and mangrove habitats as nurseries, later moving as adults onto coral reefs. But the fishes' movements, and the connections between different tropical habitats, are much more complex than previously realized, according to a new study. The findings have important implications for management and protection of coral reefs and other marine environments.

Viruses could be the key to healthy corals

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:04:04 EDT

Scientists have developed a treatment for the white plague disease that infects coral based on a medication developed to treat bacterial infections in humans. The therapy ceased the progression of infection in diseased corals and prevented the infection from spreading to surrounding healthy corals as well.

Coral scientists use new model to find where corals are most likely to survive climate change

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:54:54 EDT

Marine conservationists have identified heat-tolerant coral species living in locations with continuous background temperature variability as those having the best chance of surviving climate change, according to a new simplified method for measuring coral reef resilience.

Less is more for reef-building corals: Surprisingly more flexible corals are more sensitive to environment disturbances

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 19:09:09 EDT

Researchers have made a discovery that challenges a major theory in the field of coral reef ecology. The general assumption has been that the more flexible corals are, regarding which species of single-celled algae they host in coral tissues, the greater ability corals will have to survive environmental stress. However, scientists documented that the more flexible corals are, the more sensitive to environment disturbances they are.

Darwin discovered to be right: Eastern Pacific barrier is virtually impassable by coral species

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:21:21 EDT

Coral from the eastern Pacific rarely crosses a deep-ocean barrier to reach the west coast of the Americas, according to new research. The finding has important implications for climate-change research, species-preservation efforts, and the economic stability of the eastern Pacific region, including the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador.

In Fiji, marine protection gets local boost

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:19:19 EDT

A new study has found that locally managed marine protected areas within Fiji are playing an increasingly important role in the nation’s strategy to protect inshore habitats.

World's sea life is 'facing major shock', marine scientists warn

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 09:44:44 EDT

Life in the world's oceans faces far greater change and risk of large-scale extinctions than at any previous time in human history, a team of the world's leading marine scientists has warned. The researchers have compared events which drove massive extinctions of sea life in the past with what is observed to be taking place in the seas and oceans globally today.

Improving water quality can help save coral reefs

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:36:36 EDT

Researcher have found that an imbalance of nutrients in reef waters can increase the bleaching susceptibility of reef corals. Corals are made up of many polyps that jointly form a layer of living tissue covering the calcareous skeletons. They depend on single-celled algae called zooxanthellae, which live within the coral polyps. The coral animal and the associated zooxanthellae depend on each other for survival in a symbiotic relationship, where the coral supplies the algae with nutrients and a place to live. In turn, the algae offer the coral some products of their photosynthesis, providing them with an important energy source. High water temperatures can block photosynthetic reactions in the algal cells causing a build-up of toxic oxygen compounds, which threaten the coral and can result in a loss of the zooxanthellae.

Invasive brittle star species hits Atlantic Ocean

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 09:24:24 EDT

Coral Reefs has published online a study about an invasive species of brittle star. The species was previously restricted to Pacific waters, but surprisingly, growing populations have established themselves at distant points in the Atlantic. Its presence near Brazilian and Caribbean ports indicates that O. mirabilis could have been spread by shipping.

Global warming causes more extreme shifts of the Southern Hemisphere's largest rain band, study suggests

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:54:54 EDT

South Pacific countries will experience more extreme floods and droughts, in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new article.

Mission discovers record depth for Lophelia coral on Gulf of Mexico energy platforms

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:06:06 EDT

A team of federal and university scientists on a 10-day expedition in the Gulf of Mexico has discovered Lophelia coral growing deeper than previously seen anywhere in the Gulf. Newly available information on Lophelia's growth rate and conditions will inform future environmental review and decision-making for the protection of deep-water coral habitats.

Microbes, sponges, and worms add to coral reef woes

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 15:14:14 EDT

Microbes, sponges, and worms -- the side effects of pollution and heavy fishing -- are adding insult to injury in Kenya's imperiled reef systems, according to a recent study.