Coral reefs, vital for fishing and coastal protection, are increasingly threatened by plastic pollution. Recent studies reveal a troubling rise in plastic in deeper water layers, significantly heightening the risk of coral diseases.
Discoveries by Australian scientists regarding the Great Barrier Reef are alarming; in the last decade, temperatures around the reef have been the highest in 400 years, contributing to five major coral bleaching events. These troubling results, published in “Nature,” may persuade the UN to classify the reef as endangered.
Recent studies published in “Nature” sound the alarm that human activities are causing unprecedented temperature increases in the Coral Sea, threatening the survival of the Great Barrier Reef. Experts caution that if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, our generation may witness the disappearance of one of the greatest natural wonders on Earth.
Scientists have discovered a new source of oxygen, known as “dark oxygen,” in the depths of the ocean, revolutionizing our understanding of marine chemical processes. Research results published in the prestigious journal “Nature Geoscience” reveal that polymetallic nodules can naturally decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University have developed special cradles that protect young corals from grazing fish on the Great Barrier Reef. These innovative devices could significantly contribute to the protection and regeneration of one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems.
At a great depth below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, in the darkness of the deep sea, complex ecosystems of non-photosynthetic corals have been discovered. These mysterious, long-lived coral structures, inhabited by brittle stars and other marine organisms, reveal surprising aspects of interdependence, a deeper understanding of which was brought about by the Deepwater Horizon drilling disaster.
Since 2002, the Coral Disease and Health Consortium (CDHC) has been working to protect and regenerate coral reefs by integrating experts from various sectors. Learn how their initiatives impact the protection and restoration of these valuable ecosystems.
Discover the success of the coral reef restoration on Mnemba Island, where the local community along with environmental organizations is reversing the effects of climate change and overfishing, restoring the health and beauty of this crucial ecosystem.
Over the last three decades, the levels of seas and oceans have risen by an alarming 9 centimeters. Latest NASA data predicts that this rate of increase will continue to accelerate, potentially causing significant changes for many regions around the world.
Scientists installed forty underwater temperature loggers on the Bahia Islands in Honduras to monitor conditions essential for the survival of coral reefs. These studies are crucial in understanding how global warming affects corals, which may lead to developing strategies to protect these sensitive ecosystems from increasingly frequent bleaching.