It appears that declines of coral reefs have been going on longer than we thought. Recent research using old navigation maps from the late 1700s showed that coral reefs in the Florida Keys were much more extensive than previously believed, with the new estimates suggesting a ~50% reduction of total coral reef area (being converted to seagrass beds) since […]
An interview I did a few months ago for Quarks and Quirks on CBC radio recently aired. Yes, of course, it is more about fish pee, but I thought I would post it all the same. It is pretty funny. Scroll down a bit for the actual interview.
Some positive news for our Caribbean coral reefs! Research from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute reports that small algae-eating fish and sea urchins may be taking the place of Diadema, a large sea urchin that suffered severe declines in the 1970s from a widespread disease. Read HERE for more details.
A recent study found that corals influence the microbial community surrounding them by both consuming them and facilitating microbial growth. See popular news articles here and here and a brief summary below.
The researchers used a lab experiment to test how the presence and absence of corals affected microbial communities present in seawater. When corals were placed […]
It is truly uplifting to find any positive news about the state of the worlds’ coral reefs anywhere. A resent research survey found that the reefs around Phoenix Island, a region halfway between Fiji and Hawaii, were teaming with healthy coral. These corals had previously been devastated in 2003, and had been slow to recover. Scientists were worried that the recent […]
Here is a short summary of the upcoming plans in restoring hard, reef–building coral species into the Caribbean and along the southern Floridian coastline. Click here to see what restoration initiatives Mote Marine Lab, The Nature Conservancy, and several other U.S. and international partners have for our coral reefs.
Check out the latest coral reef restoration efforts in The Bahamas. Click here for article.
Yup, more about fish pee. As a follow-up to work we have been conducting on the importance of fish excretion (pee) for coastal tropic ecosystems, we describe in a recent study how fishing pressure is reducing this source of nutrients by nearly half on coral reefs across the broader Caribbean. This study highlights an alternative way in which human […]
Last week some 3000 coral reef scientists, including the world’s foremost leaders in all aspects of coral reef ecosystems, met in Honolulu to discuss the fate of coral reefs. The goal of this convention, which is held every four years, was to focus on positive action towards improving reef ecosystems. Unfortunately, when studying coral reefs it is difficult to be optimistic. […]
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