coral reefs
Can Corals Recover from the Effects of Climate Change?
With climate change becoming a more pressing issue, the world’s coral reefs are suffering heavy consequences. Corals are increasingly becoming bleached, which can lead to reef death. But are there ways for corals to recover from bleaching? Francesca GiammonaI am a PhD candidate at Wake Forest University, and I received a B.S. in Biology from […]
Ocean acidification: The lesser known CO2 Problem
You have heard about global warming due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide but did you know that it also affects oceans globally! Read on to learn more. Tejashree ModakCurrently, I am a postdoctoral research fellow in URI. Broadly, I study response of marine species to various stressors such as disease and environmental factors. My research […]
A Fishy Ally to Help Coral Reefs
What if we had something on the inside to help us fight climate change’s impacts on coral reefs? A helpful ally which could increase coral bleaching tolerance and boost post-bleaching recovery in the field and in real time? As it turns out, we do: damselfish. Rishya NarayananRishya is a multimedia science communicator with an MS […]
Peace for Coral Reefs
As the world has learned over the past several months, a little solitude goes a long way towards a healthy life. What if coral reefs need time away from humans to be able to live their best lives? Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, are known to be marvelous colorful ecosystems that […]
In an uncertain future, how might corals survive?
Scleractinian corals form the framework for reef ecosystems but are increasingly threatened. By looking at the coral fossil record, scientists are beginning to understand how corals have survived in the past, and what will happen to them in the future. Elena GadoutsisI can admit, I didn’t take the typical scientist route. After starting my career […]
Coral Reefs Bounce Back in Turks and Caicos Islands
Coral reefs are often referred to as the tropical rainforests of the sea and support diverse ocean life. But how resilient are reefs when it comes to warming water temperatures? Researchers and citizen scientists in Turks and Caicos aim to find out. Riley HenningI am currently a Master’s candidate in Environmental and Ocean Sciences at […]
Renewed hope for reef-building corals to combat climate change.
If you have ever had a chance to snorkel in a reef, you would agree that it is an unforgettable experience. Its special mainly because of the colorful corals and the diverse life forms they support. But corals around the world are being hit hard from effects of warming ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. Corals […]
A game of shark and ray: Rays act differently when sharks are around
As our oceans change, we don’t really know what the current decline of sharks means for stingrays, or for the coral reefs where they both live. Scientists at James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science want to find out. Kristin HuizengaI am a PhD student studying Biological Oceanography at the University of […]
Turning up the heat: lab-adapted symbionts help coral survive warming waters
Ever wonder how organisms might adapt to climate change? How about humans aiding in this evolution? Read on to see how one group sought to increase coral reefs tolerance to bleaching in the lab. Samantha SettaI’m a PhD student in the Rynearson Lab at the University of Rhode Island (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO). […]
Climate-driven events leave an imprint on corals in the Great Barrier Reef
In this re-post, we discuss the ecological memory of corals from bleaching events that occurred back-to-back in 2016 and 2017. With this pattern repeating itself in 2020, has mass bleaching become a near-annual event? Nyla HusainI’m a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. I use models to study how […]
Ensuring that coral reefs sound like home
What does a coral reef sound like? The answer is more important than you might think. By playing the sounds of a healthy reef over a loudspeaker, scientists were able to attract a variety of baby fish to settle on a degraded reef, results which show how acoustic interventions are a tool that can be […]
3D Printing Can Help Coral Environments, Here’s How.
In the face of mass bleaching and other anthropogenic stressors, researchers and scientists alike have been working on ways to both bolster coral reef growth and study coral reef environments without disrupting them – and 3D printing coral structures has been one technique used to do so. However, before the use of 3D models in […]
Can Coral Reefs Strangled By Algae Recover?
“Experimental support for alternative attractors on coral reefs”, Russell J. Schmitt, Sally J. Holbrook, Samantha L. Davis, Andrew J.Brooks, Thomas C. Adam, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Mar 2019, 116 (10) 4372-4381; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1812412116 This article was reposted from March 2019. Why Too Much Algae Hurts Coral Reefs Coral wages a constant battle against algae for space and dominance. On a healthy coral reef, it’s a battle […]
Monitoring the benthos by listening to photosynthesis
Even though the benthos is a largely unseen energy base for marine food webs, scientists are listening to benthic habitats as a novel way to monitor ecosystem health. Read on to learn about how acoustics can capture sounds produced by benthic algae. Katherine BarrettKate is a 4th year PhD candidate in the Biological Sciences Department […]
Lost in the sound: coral planulae habitat selection affected by boat noise
It can be hard to cut through the noises that surround us and focus on the task in front of us, right? This may not just be a human problem. Noise pollution may be another way human activity is negatively affecting corals. Rebecca FlynnI am a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (B.S.) and […]
Stuck in the middle with you: The trophic ecology of Caribbean reef sharks and large teleost coral reef predators
We often think of sharks as the top of the ocean food web, chowing down on seals and big fish to their heart’s content. That is often not the case! Where does the Caribbean reef shark fall in this hierarchy? Let’s find out. Grace CasselberryI am currently a Marine Science and Technology Doctoral student at […]
Scaredy Fish: How Timid Fish Could Skew Research
Divers have long suspected that some fish are more afraid of people than others. A recent study has shown that certain groups of fish will actually hide for hours after a diver has passed through a reef. This has important implications for the future of coral reef surveys and the way we study species diversity. […]
We need reefs. Can we make some?
Do artificial reefs work to promote biodiversity? Check out this summary of work from the Mediterranean Sea to find out more! Sandra SchleierHola mi nombre es Sandra Schleier. Soy graduada de la Universidad de Rhode Island con una Maestría enfocada en la restauración de corales en el Caribe. Actualmente soy la traductora del inglés al […]
The Coral Dilemma: Is Hybridization the Key?
Coral: a mineral, plant, and animal all in one (oh my!) Unfortunately, coral is in danger- and the many reefs which support a wide variety of organisms (including humans) are rapidly dying. Does interspecific hybridization hold the key to our coral dilemma? Rishya NarayananRishya is a multimedia science communicator with an MS in Media Advocacy from […]
Going viral: relationships between coral reef health and viruses
What organisms live in coral reefs? Corals (obviously), fish, snorkeling tourists…but some of the most important members we can’t even see with the naked eye, and some argue aren’t even alive! In this post we explore the role of viruses in coral reefs, and what we do – and don’t – know about coral-virus interactions. […]
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