Coral
MC&G Department Virtual Seminar: Climate Change and Plastic Pollution: A One-Two Punch for Coral Reefs
Manoela Romano, Carnegie Institution for Science Sponsored by: MC&G Department This will be held virtually. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84120401743 Meeting…
Read MoreCoral develops ‘osteoporosis’ because of acidic oceans caused by climate change, study reveals
Scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found significant reduction in the density of coral skeleton along much of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, and also on two reefs in the South China Sea, which they attribute largely to the increasing acidity of the waters surrounding these reefs since 1950.
More insights into the complexity of coral
“This is the first unambiguous detection and attribution of ocean acidification’s impact on coral growth,” says lead author Weifu Guo of WHOI.
Ocean acidification causing coral ‘osteoporosis’ on iconic reefs
Scientists have long suspected that ocean acidification is affecting corals’ ability to build their skeletons, but it has been challenging to isolate its effect from that of simultaneous warming ocean temperatures, which also influence coral growth. New research from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) reveals the distinct impact that ocean acidification is having on coral growth on some of the world’s iconic reefs.
Ocean acidification causing coral ‘osteoporosis’ on iconic reefs
Scientists have long suspected that ocean acidification is affecting corals’ ability to build their skeletons, but it has been challenging…
Read MoreBiology Department Virtual Seminar – Ocean Deoxygenation: An Emerging Stressor on Coral Reefs
Maggie Johnson, WHOI Sponsored by: Biology Department This will be held virtually. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88982828909?pwd=TnkzUHpvc0txMTA1WWViNVZseTVEdz09
Read MoreScientists are trying to save coral reefs. Here’s what’s working.
Without a mix of long-term cuts in emissions and short-term innovation, there’s a not-so-far-off future where coral reefs as we know them simply cease to exist, says Anne Cohen, a coral expert at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.
Ocean Encounters: Corals in Crisis
Worldwide, corals are struggling to survive, decimated by pollution, destructive fishing practices, and climate change. Six years ago, a deadly coral disease outbreak started in Florida and has now made its way to the coral reefs in U.S. Virgin Islands, killing corals at an unprecedented rate. Can scientists help stop this underwater epidemic and contain its spread?
Read MoreSpecial WHOI Webinar: Corals in Crisis: How Scientists are Racing to Stop a Deadly Disease
Sylvia Earle,marine biologist, ocean explorer, and conservationist; Marilyn Brandt, University of the Virgin Islands coral disease ecologist; and Amy Apprill,…
Read MoreLab shutdowns enable speedier investigation of coral disease
Despite labs shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WHOI microbiologists are working fast to solve a different kind of outbreak—one travelling below the ocean’s surface and ravaging coral reefs from Florida to the Caribbean.
Read MorePhysical Oceanography Virtual Seminar: Baby Coral Versus the Raging Sea: Larval Behaviour, Dispersal, and Population Connectivity in the Deep Sea
Stefan Gary, Bowdoin College Sponsored by: Physical Oceanography Department Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83763738130?pwd=VkdGZ1BldHpGUmJ6YU9NemtkVnQ0QT09 Meeting ID: 837 6373 8130 Password: 862953
Read MoreNOAA Webinar: Dive in and Explore Coral Reef Ecosystems
Dana Wusinich-Mendez, NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program Sponsored by: NOAA To register, please visit: https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/2586095735301690123
Read MoreWhat did scientists learn from Deepwater Horizon?
Ten years after the Deepwater Horizon explosion caused the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, WHOI marine geochemists Elizabeth Kujawinski and Christopher Reddy review what they— and their science colleagues from around the world—have learned.
Read MoreInspired to Understand – Amy Apprill
Amy Apprill was a midwestern citizen before the call of the ocean found her. Now a resident expert in microbial ecology in WHOI’s Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department, she’s studying a growing epidemic affecting coral reefs across the world, known as stony coral tissue loss disease. With an eye for detail, Apprill’s forensic approach analyzes coral sickness down to differences in DNA.
Read MoreShedding light on the deep, dark canyons of the Mid-Atlantic
WHOI biologist Tim Shank discusses the exploration of deep-sea canyons throughout the Mid-Atlantic Ocean and how ecosystems there can be managed sustainably in the face of climate change and increased human pressures.
Read MoreCan you spot the eumunid crab?
This vulnerable gorgonian soft coral is the perfect home for the vibrant eunumid crab. See if you can spot it!
Read MoreCorals as Predators: New Perspectives on the Trophic Ecology of Reef-Building Corals
Michael Fox, WHOI Sponsored by: Biology Department
Read MoreHow microbes reflect the health of coral reefs
A collaborative study compared seawater from 25 reefs in Cuba and the U.S. Florida Keys varying in human impact and protection, and found that those with higher microbial diversity and lower concentrations of nutrients and organic carbon—primarily caused by human activities—were markedly healthier.
Read MorePortable device allows to measure highly reactive superoxide on coral reefs
Researchers at WHOI successfully conceived and tested a portable device, DISCO, that performed the first in situ measurements of a highly reactive type of oxygen, known as superoxide, which may play an integral role in the health of coral reefs.
WHOI-engineered DISCO allows scientists to measure highly reactive superoxide on coral reefs
WHOI researchers successfully conceived and tested a portable device, DISCO, that performed the first in situ measurements of a highly reactive type of oxygen, known as superoxide, which may play an integral role in the health of coral reefs.
Read MoreClimate change threatens everyone’s favorite little fish
The well-being of the colorful clownfish of “Finding Nemo” fame is closely tied to its habitat among the sea anemone, according to a 10-year study by an international team of scientists. The little fish does not appear to have the ability to adapt to the rapid environmental effects of climate change.
Protecting living corals could help defend the Great Barrier Reef from ocean acidification for decades
Reefs with higher numbers of living corals will be more resilient than expected to damage from acidifying seawater, scientists reported recently in Nature Evolution and Ecology.
These corals could survive climate change — and help save the world’s reefs
Ocean warming threatens to wipe out corals, but scientists are trying to protect naturally resilient reefs and are nursing some others back to health.
Clownfish can’t adapt to rapid environmental changes
The beloved anemone fish popularized by the movies “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory” don’t have the genetic capacity to adapt to rapid changes in their environment, according to a new study in the journal Ecology Letters.
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