Coral

Photo shows a coral reef with a background of the sun's rays shining into the waters
The Coral Reef Initiative seeks to protect at least 125,000 square kilometres of shallow-water tropical coral reefs.

Coral Reef Breakthrough: an initiative to safeguard world's coral reefs

Coral reefs are essential for marine biodiversity and climate resilience, supporting at least a quarter of marine species and offering ecosystem services worth up to $9.9 trillion annually. More than a billion people, including vulnerable coastal communities, depend on them for their livelihoods.

Today, these vital ecosystems are under threat due to the climate crisis and human activities, and time is running out to protect them.

Over the course of decades, polluted and warmer waters have bleached and killed up to 95% of Florida's corals.

Florida's Coral Reefs Under Siege from Rising Temperatures

Florida's coral reefs, a vital marine ecosystem, have been under severe threat due to extreme ocean temperatures this summer. The coral reefs, besides being biodiversity hotspots, also serve as a protective barrier against coastal erosion and are a significant source of revenue through tourism.

Efforts to protect and restore these reefs have been ongoing for decades. Coral restoration, which involves planting coral fragments, has been a primary method employed by scientists.

Health profiles of the elkhorn coral greatly differed among five examined areas, but the coral samples in the Dry Tortugas thrived compared to all the other sites

Endangered corals show encouraging resilience

In the face of daunting challenges to our planet's coral reefs, a glimmer of hope emerges from Florida's coastal waters.

Scientists from Ohio State University discovered that the endangered elkhorn coral population in the Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida were highly resilient in its ability to adapt and thrive, despite adverse factors like climate change, pollution and disease outbreaks.

100,000 corals to be planted in Singapore waters

Starting in 2024, 100,000 corals will be gradually planted in Singapore's seas as part of the nation's largest reef restoration project to date.

This extensive project complements Singapore's existing coral restoration efforts which began in 2016, spearheaded by statutory board NParks.

To achieve this feat, baby corals, or coral fragments, have been grown in nurseries for at least 10 years. Once they are big enough, they will be transplanted onto damaged reefs or in new locations that can support coral habitats.

Scientists discover pristine deep-sea coral reefs

Observations using the newly upgraded human-occupied vehicle Alvin are the first of a deep-sea coral reef in the Galápagos Marine Reserve.  The reef, found at 400-600 meters (1,310-1,970 feet) depth at the summit of a previously unmapped seamount in the central part of the archipelago, supports a breathtaking mix of deep marine life, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution writes.

Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef.
Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef has sort of chlamydia

The discovery of chlamydia-like bacteria in corals of the Great Barrier Reef could help scientists understand the coral microbiome and its impact on coral reef health.

Corals are associated with a variety of bacteria, which occur in the surface mucus layer, gastrovascular cavity, skeleton and tissues where they play a critical role in protecting corals against pathogens, cycling nutrients, and producing vitamins and essential amino acids. 

Coral reef patches surrounded by halos of sand produced by herbivore members of a patch assemblage (fish, mollusks, and sea urchins) who remove sea grass and algae
Coral reef patches surrounded by halos of sand produced by herbivore members of a patch assemblage (fish, mollusks, and sea urchins) who remove sea grass and algae

Reef halos and soundscapes may provide a window into reef health

Coral reef halos, also known as grazing halos or sand halos, are bands of bare, sandy seafloor that surround coral patch reefs. Fish and invertebrates hide in a patch of coral and venture out to eat algae and seagrass that cover the seabed.

Coral species from left to right: cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina), lobe coral (Porites lobata), and finger coral (Porites compressa).
Key reef-building coral species from left to right: cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina), lobe coral (Porites lobata), and finger coral (Porites compressa).

Palau’s Rock Islands harbour heat-resistant corals

Palau’s Rock Islands experience consistently higher temperatures and extreme heatwaves, yet their diverse coral communities bleach less than those on Palau’s cooler outer reefs.

Scientists studying reefs in Palau have identified genetic subgroups of a common coral species that exhibit remarkable tolerance to the extreme heat associated with marine heatwaves.

AIMS' Long-Term Monitoring Program measures the status and trend of reefs in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
AIMS' Long-Term Monitoring Program measures the status and trend of reefs in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Continued coral recovery recorded across two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef

Published today, AIMS’ Annual Summary Report on Coral Reef Condition for 2021/22 shows another year of increased coral cover across much of the Reef.

The increasing frequency of warming ocean temperatures and the extent of mass bleaching events highlights the critical threat climate change poses to all reefs, particularly while crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and tropical cyclones are also occurring. Future disturbance can reverse the observed recovery in a short amount of time.

AIMS monitoring program team leader Dr Mike Emslie

Fire corals have a bright yellow-green and brown skeletal covering and are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters
Fire corals have a bright yellow-green and brown skeletal covering and are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters

Fire corals spreading on Caribbean reefs

Sessile organisms, such as corals where adults are immobile and their growth position is determined at settlement, are confronted by unique circumstances arising in that particular location.

In some habitats, anthropogenic effects are causing large changes in community structure, as well as the environmental conditions to which they are exposed.  On a densely populated reef space is a limited resource. One of the ways organisms can win that space is through the strategy of shape.