corals | Common News Update

Apr42021 by adminNo Comments

Then and now: Rising temperatures threaten corals

Science

In our monthly feature, Then and Now, we reveal some of the ways that planet Earth has been changing against the backdrop of a warming world. Here, we look at coral bleaching, and how warming waters are threatening the survival of a true wonder of the seas.Coral reefs are hives of activity in the ocean, where many different species can be found. Scientists refer to such zones as biodiversity hotspots. Although reefs take up less than 1% of the area covered by ocean, they are estimated to be home to more than a third of life under the waves. Coral bleaching, South Pacific A modern web browser and internet connection are required to view the image slider Drag the button to see how the coral has changed over time .no-js.slider { ...

Aug302019 by adminNo Comments

‘Extreme corals’ discovered in Great Barrier Reef’s mangrove lagoons

Science

Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Corals capable of withstanding extreme conditions have been found inside mangrove lagoons around Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Scientists found 34 coral species living in the "hot spots" of coral resilience. Inside the lagoons, the so-called "extreme corals" are exposed to high acidity, low oxygen and highly variable temperature conditions. By studying coral species that have adapted to rapidly shifting ocean conditions, scientists can gain insight into how coral will respond to climate change and other environmental stressors. "This highlights the need to study environments that would usually be considered unfavorable to corals in order to understand how stress tolerance in corals works," Emma Camp, research fellow at the University of Technology Sydney, said in a new...

Jun192019 by adminNo Comments

Barrier Reef corals help scientists calibrate ancient climate records

Science

June 18 (UPI) -- Corals can help scientists track ancient climate patterns, but new research suggests that traditional analysis methods for analyzing coral's ancient growth aren't as accurate as previously thought. Luckily, scientists have developed an improved method, a combination of high-resolution microscopic analysis and geochemical modeling. Researchers described the new technique this week in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. Deciphering the climate records coded in coral skeletons is similar to deciphering tree rings. As coral grows, new layers of calcium are deposited. Each layer traps geochemical signatures that can provide clues to the climatic conditions. By measuring the amount of strontium and the lighter isotope of oxygen trapped in different calcium layers, scienti...

Feb22019 by adminNo Comments

Solitary corals more likely survive in a warmer ocean

Science

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Corals that prefer isolation to life on a reef are more likely to survive as oceans warm and become more acidic, according to a new study published in the journal Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology. Numerous studies have documented the negative impact global warming is already having on coral around the globe. As oceans warm and marine heatwaves become more frequent and long-lasting, more and more corals are experiencing bleaching events. Both heat stress and rising ocean acidity render corals less able to defend against disease and hungry predators. But as previous studies have shown, some corals are better able to adapt than others. New research out of the University of Texas at Austin suggests more reclusive corals, which prefer to anchor themselves from their relati...

Apr182018 by adminNo Comments

Heatwaves 'cook' Great Barrier Reef corals

Science

Prolonged ocean warming events, known as marine heatwaves, take a significant toll on the complex ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef.This is according to a new study on the impacts of the 2016 marine heatwave, published in Nature.In surveying the 3,863 individual reefs that make up the system off Australia's north-east coast, scientists found that 29% of communities were affected.In some cases up to 90% of coral died, in a process known as bleaching.This occurs when the stress of elevated temperatures causes a breakdown of the coral's symbiotic relationship with its algae, which provide the coral with energy to survive, and give the reef its distinctive colours. Certain coral species are more susceptible to this heat-induced stress, and the 2016 marine heatwave saw the death of many tabul...