3D-printed coral offer new hope for endangered reefs
In the wake of the global climate crisis and the acidification of oceans due to rising temperatures, coral reefs around the world and their ecologically diverse inhabitants have been drastically affected. Particularly, fish living among or in close relation to coral reefs who often use the reefs to Read More...
This is how conservationists are saving the world’s coral reefs
It’s no news that coral reefs around the world are suffering greatly from the effects of climate change. Sea level rise, intensifying tropical storms, warming waters, and ocean acidification – when combined, all of these impacts dramatically alter coral reef ecosystems, leading to devastating Read More...
Coral gardeners are breathing life back into Jamaica’s reefs
Once home to a vibrant sea life abundant in stunning coral reefs, after a series of natural and man-made disasters in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jamaica lost 85 percent of its once-bountiful corals. This resulted in a steep decline in seafood populations upon which many families’ living hoods Read More...
This scientific breakthrough could save America’s biggest coral reef
Like Australia, the US has its own “Great Barrier Reef”, lying just off the coast of the Florida Keys. It’s the third-largest coral reef in the world, and it’s in serious danger. As the temperature of the oceans continues to rise, the corals are dying off at an unprecedented rate. If Read More...
Damaged seamounts in Hawaii make incredible comeback after decades of protection
For decades, overfishing and trawling - dragging the ocean bottom with heavy nets - had been devastating parts of an underwater mountain range in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, wrecking deep-sea corals and destroying much of their ecological community. But now, after years of protection, Read More...
Engineers have created a robot that plants baby coral in damaged reefs
Right now, the world’s reefs are “losing corals faster than they can be naturally replaced.” In a bid to restore degraded reef systems, a team of engineers in Australia has developed a robot that seeds the reefs with coral that can live at higher temperatures. You see, corals typically Read More...
How to identify sunscreen that doesn't damage coral reefs
The same stuff you put on to protect your skin from the sun on a day at the beach is killing the coral reefs that live beneath the waves. That is unless you apply reef-safe sunscreens. But it can be rather difficult to tell which sunscreens are actually safe and which ones are just pretending to Read More...
Meet the unlikely team of US veterans scuba diving to save coral reefs
Coral reefs were once the epitome of the richness of life on Earth, but with water quality dropping and ocean temperatures rising, coral reefs are unfortunately struggling to survive. Enter Force Blue, an unusual green organization with three key goals. Founded by US special forces veterans, it Read More...
‘Supercorals’ offer glimmer of hope for one of world’s most biodiverse ecosystem
Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions have caused an increase in the global surface temperature of approximately 1°C since pre-industrial times, making ocean water warmer and more acidic. This has led to unprecedented mass coral bleaching events which – combined with growing local pressures – Read More...
The inventor of Roomba designed a subaquatic robot to hunt invasive lionfish
While the lionfish may look spectacular, this venomous fish is a disaster for marine ecosystems. In the Bahamas alone, the invasive lionfish will eat 72 different species, far more than any other local predator; a single lionfish in a coral reef can reduce native reef fish by 79 percent. Reducing Read More...