http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/coral_reefs/ Coral reef information. Read current news articles on coral reefs in danger due to coral bleaching. See photos of coral reef fish and sponges. Learn about coral reef conservation. en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:05:01 EST Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/coral_reefs/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143821.htm One of the first set of studies to examine what tourists and recreation enthusiasts actually think about coral reef ecosystems suggests they are a rare exception to controversies over human use versus environmental conservation -- their stunning beauty is so extraordinary that almost everyone wants them protected in perpetuity. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143821.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000925.htm Biologists have explained why corals spawn for just a few nights in some places but elsewhere string out their love life over many months. A new study shows that corals spawn when regional wind fields are light. When it is calm, the eggs and sperm have the chance to unite before they are dispersed. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104000925.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114357.htm With technology similar to that used by physicians to perform magnetic resonance imaging scans, researchers are studying the metabolic activity of a pathogen shown to cause coral bleaching, a serious threat to undersea reef ecosystems worldwide. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114357.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142508.htm Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is among the healthiest coral reef ecosystems in the tropical Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, according to NOAA researchers. Their report offers insights into the coral and fish communities within the sanctuary based on data collected in 2006 and 2007. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142508.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164058.htm Mass coral bleaching has devastated coral colonies around the world for almost three decades. Now scientists have found that bleaching can make corals more susceptible to disease and, in turn, coral disease can exacerbate the negative effects of bleaching. A new article shows that when they occur together, this combination of afflictions causes greater harm to corals than either does on its own. Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164058.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101359.htm In addition to global warming, carbon dioxide emissions cause another, less well-known but equally serious and worrying phenomenon: ocean acidification. Researchers have just demonstrated that key marine organisms, such as deep-water corals and pteropods (shelled pelagic mollusks) will be profoundly affected by this phenomenon during the years to come. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909203142.htm Scientists have found a rare species of algae that is tolerant of stressful environmental conditions and that proliferated in Caribbean corals when the corals' more-sensitive algae were being expelled during the sea-temperature warming of 2005. The research is one of the first times that anyone has had the opportunity to conduct a community-wide study of corals and algae before, during and after a bleaching event. Sun, 13 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909203142.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707093744.htm Scientists have 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. Mediterranean algae and coral reefs began to resemble present day reefs following the isolation of the Mediterranean from the Indian Ocean and global cooling 15 and 20 million years ago respectively. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707093744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721214633.htm A new study shows that bleached corals bounce back to normal growth rates more quickly when they have clean water and plentiful sea life at their side. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721214633.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803205933.htm For the first time, researchers have definitively shown that shipwrecks and other man-made structures increase the potential for large invasions of unwanted species into coral reefs, even comparatively pristine ones. These unwanted species can completely overtake a reef and eliminate native corals, dramatically decreasing the diversity of marine organisms on the reef. Coral reefs can undergo fast changes in their dominant life forms, a phenomenon referred to as phase shift. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803205933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623112119.htm 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," says the lead author of the study. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623112119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090725120003.htm Scientists say conditions are favorable for significant coral bleaching and infectious coral disease outbreaks in the Caribbean, especially in the Lesser Antilles. Similar conditions may develop in Gulf of Mexico and Central Pacific. The forecast is based on the July NOAA Coral Reef Watch outlook, which expects continued high water temperatures through October 2009. Mon, 27 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090725120003.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706141006.htm Leading ocean scientists and climate change experts agreed on a new level of atmospheric carbon dioxide that would need to be achieved to ensure the survival of coral reefs. Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706141006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084636.htm New DNA analysis reveals that corals in one locality are more closely related than previously thought; results have significant implications for coral conservation. Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090626084636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617154405.htm 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, experts say. Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617154405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215924.htm Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been comprehensively "flattened" over the last 40 years, according to a disturbing new study. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609215924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601111932.htm There's little doubt that coral reefs the world over face threats on many fronts: pollution, diseases, destructive fishing practices and warming oceans. But reefs appear to be more resistant to one potential menace -- seaweed -- than previously thought, according to marine scientists. Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601111932.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142819.htm An explosion of knowledge has been made in the last few years about the basic biology of corals, researchers say in a new report, helping to explain why coral reefs around the world are collapsing and what it will take for them to survive a gauntlet of climate change and ocean acidification. Fri, 29 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142819.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521131309.htm A new report on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands provides the sharpest picture yet of the region's marine life and ecosystems. The report examines the geographic distribution of the island chain's marine life and habitats, and the conditions that determine where they are found. Wed, 27 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521131309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526153010.htm Researchers have confirmed the existence of a major new coral reef province on the southern end of the Porcupine Bank off the west coast of Ireland. The province covers an area of some 200 square kilometers and contains in the order of 40 coral reef covered carbonate mounds. These underwater hills rise as high as 100 meters above the seafloor. Tue, 26 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526153010.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520100515.htm Experts say that more than half of the world's coral reefs could disappear in the next 50 years, in large part because of higher ocean temperatures caused by climate change. But now scientists have found evidence that some coral reefs are adapting and may actually survive global warming. Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520100515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511210422.htm A nearly complete collection of genes for a species of reef-building coral has been assembled. The scientists will use the genetic data to understand natural variations in corals from around the world and how they respond, at the genetic level, to rising water temperatures. Fri, 15 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511210422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130953.htm Coral reefs could disappear entirely from the Coral Triangle region of the Pacific Ocean by the end of the century, threatening the food supply and livelihoods for about 100 million people, according to a new study. Averting catastrophe will depend on quick and effective global action on climate change coupled with the implementation of regional solutions to problems of over-fishing and pollution. Thu, 14 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511101735.htm Scientists have proposed a set of basic rules to help save the world's imperiled coral reefs from ultimate destruction. "The catastrophic decline in the world's coral reefs demands urgent management responses on two fronts," say the researchers. Tue, 12 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511101735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505200711.htm 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, according to a sweeping study. Wed, 06 May 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505200711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427144825.htm Marine biologists have developed a novel technique for reattaching large sponges that have been dislodged from coral reefs. The findings could be generally applied to the restoration of other large sponge species removed by human activities or storms. Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427144825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132612.htm A new study shows that some coral reefs off East Africa are unusually resilient to climate change due to improved fisheries management and a combination of geophysical factors. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423100817.htm Marine scientists are astonished at the spectacular recovery of certain coral reefs in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from a devastating coral bleaching event in 2006 when high sea temperatures caused massive and severe coral bleaching in the Keppel Islands. Damaged reefs were quickly smothered by a single species of seaweed -- an event that can spell the total loss of the corals. The rapid recovery is due to an exceptional combination of previously-underestimated ecological mechanisms. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423100817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406132609.htm A new study sheds light on how threats to the world's endangered coral reef ecosystems can be more effectively managed. Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406132609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325132336.htm Children of baby boomers aren't the only ones who have taken to setting up home far from where their parents live. A new study documents how larval dispersal connects marine fish populations in a network of marine protected areas -- information that is critical for fisheries managers. Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325132336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324091209.htm Deep-sea corals from about 400 meters off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands are much older than once believed and some may be the oldest living marine organisms known to man. Researchers have determined that two groups of Hawaiian deep-sea corals are far older than previously recorded. Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324091209.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319132911.htm By combining data from 48 studies of coral reefs from around the Caribbean, researchers have found that fish densities that have been stable for decades have given way to significant declines since 1995. Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319132911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309162125.htm Rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting effects on ocean water are making it increasingly difficult for coral reefs to grow, say scientists. A new study warns that if carbon dioxide reaches double pre-industrial levels, coral reefs can be expected to not just stop growing, but also to begin dissolving all over the world. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090309162125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305121657.htm Scientists identified seven new species of bamboo coral in the deep waters of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Six of these species may represent entirely new genera, a remarkable feat given the broad classification a genus represents. Scientists expect to identify more new species as analysis of samples continues. Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305121657.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217141813.htm A unique study has provided fresh evidence of fishing's impact on marine ecosystems. Researchers accessed archival photographs spanning more than five decades to analyze and calculate a drastic decline of so-called "trophy fish" caught around coral reefs surrounding Key West, Florida. Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217141813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209122546.htm The economy isn't just squeezing the middle class on land, it's also affecting fish. Overfishing on coral reefs isn't simply caused by too many people. Rather, researchers found that the biomass of fish found on coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean depended mostly on the complexity of the reefs themselves and the socioeconomic status of the people living on the shores. Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090209122546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203110520.htm Scientists have assessed more than 25 years of data on reef ecosystems recovery from climate change-related episodes of coral bleaching. The new study represents the first comprehensive review of long-term global patterns in reef recovery following bleaching events. Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090203110520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204174314.htm A DNA microarray may help scientists learn how to preserve coral, one of the ocean's most important denizens. The technology tracks changes in microbial populations that indicate coral disease. Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204174314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204140630.htm Scientists have returned from a month-long deep-sea voyage to a marine reserve near Tasmania, Australia, that not only netted coral-reef samples likely to provide insight into the impact of climate change on the world's oceans, but also brought to light at least three never-before-seen species of sea life. Mon, 09 Feb 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204140630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120074629.htm Coral reefs around the world are in serious trouble from pollution, over-fishing, climate change and more. The last thing they need is an infection. But that's exactly what yellow band disease is -- a bacterial infection that sickens coral colonies. Researchers have found that YBD seems to be getting worse with global warming and announced that they've identified the bacteria responsible for the disease. Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090120074629.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093349.htm A four-week expedition to explore the deep ocean south-west of Tasmania has revealed new species of animals and more evidence of impacts of increasing carbon dioxide on deep-sea corals. Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090121093349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113100111.htm Tropical oceans are known as the deserts of the sea. And yet this unlikely environment is the very place where the rich and fertile coral reef grows. Dutch researchers have investigated how caves in the coral reef ensure the reef's continued existence. Although sponges in these coral caves take up a lot of dissolved organic material, they scarcely grow. However, they do discard a lot of cells that in turn provide food for the organisms on the reef. Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090113100111.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090104094116.htm The remarkable journey of a green turtle from Indonesia into Australian waters is helping conservationists to track the migratory route of this species to the Kimberley-Pilbara coast - one of the few relatively pristine coastal areas left on Earth. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090104094116.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081228201342.htm A widespread and severe coral bleaching episode is predicted to cause immense damage to some of the world's most important marine environments over the next few months. Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081228201342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217190334.htm Concern about increasing ocean acidification has often focused on its potential effects on coral reefs, but broader disruptions of biological processes in the oceans may be more significant, according to a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and an expert in coral reef ecology and marine biodiversity. Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217190334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208114304.htm Scientists have made an unexpected discovery that links corals of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. A new species of fossil coral -- some 6 million years old -- has been found on the Island of Curaçao. The new species, originally thought to be an elkhorn coral was recently positively identified as a Pacific coral species. Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208114304.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210112808.htm Increasing pressures from climate change will reach a tipping point in less than a decade, triggering a significant decline in the health of the planet's coral reef ecosystems according to the findings in an international report. Coral reefs continue to be threatened from direct human activities of pollution and over-fishing, but now the threat of climate change is being recognized as the major threat to the future of reefs around the world. Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210112808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210112806.htm A new report reviews the social and economic ramifications of healthy coral reefs in 27 tropical nations and points to the inability of coastal managers to effectively implement decades-old recommendations as a significant barrier to coral reef protection. Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210112806.htm