The world’s largest coral system is dying, and it’s all our fault.
It’s “make or break” for coral reefs, says the UN head of Environment
He says the shift away from coal and plastics is good news — but we also need more action.
Scientists successfully transplant coral into the devastated Great Barrier Reef
This successful first trial might one day save the reef.
Newly-described hermit crab species makes permanent homes out of coral — a first
This hermit crab is no hobo.
Coral reefs barely survived bleaching, will be gone within the century unless we act
And the world will be less without them.
Fish urine keeps corals healthy, but we’re taking all the fish out of the water
Does this mean I have to pee in the pool now?
Coral bleaching has been captured on video for the first time
They don’t seem to be having a good time.
Fossil Friday: Zaphrentis phrygia
Kinda looks like the Sarlacc, doesn’t it? Well take your geek hat off cause it isn’t a sarlacc. Now put your paleontology geek hats on because this is Fossil Friday and we’re talking about Zaphrentis phrygia.
Scientists find 1,000-km-long coral reef at the mouth of the Amazon
It’s a true “Wow!” moment.
Slow-Life time lapse video gives a beautiful glimpse into the life of corals
If you’ve ever seen one up close you probably know that corals are insanely beautiful, but not exactly action packed — these animals live at their own pace, one so slow that to a human being they might seem frozen in time. But what would coral look like if it lived in ‘normal’ speed?
Breeding ‘super coral’ might be our only shot to save the reef
According to NOAA’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division about 30 percent of the world’s coral population has perished due to average ocean temperatures, El Nino’s effects and acidification. Even if we halt all man-made CO2 emissions now (virtually impossible), the cascading effects of ocean acidification can not be halted once they’ve been set in motion. As a result, coral all over the world will bleach more frequently and intensely. Desperate times indeed, but a group of scientists are trying their best. They identified strong coral specimens and are currently stressing them further so they become more resiliant to changing conditions driven by global warming. In time, these super coral might be transferred all over the globe in an attempt to halt the rapidly deteriorating coral reef.
How household vinegar could help save the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef, which stretches 2,000km (1,200 miles) along the coast, is the world’s largest living ecosystem. Yet it’s being threatened and every year the coral retreats at the hand of pollution, tourism, farming and pests. One such pest is the crown-of-thorns starfish which attaches itself to the coral and destroys it with its venomous thorns. Various pest control measures have been tried, but none proved more effective than injecting the animals with vinegar. James Cook University researchers tried out various concentrations of vinegar, needle size and injection locations until they found the sweet spot for a 100% kill rate within 48 hours of contact. Widespread and sustained (you have to control the starfish every year following breeding season) could thus help save the Great Barrier Reef, or at least buy time until we address the more serious causes leading to its destruction.
Warming oceans could destroy corals in the Pacific and Atlantic, researchers warn
Coral populations are crucial to the health of oceanic environments, but corals are also extremely vulnerable to changing conditions. Researchers warn that warming waters and ocean acidification lead to coral bleaching which can cause massive damage across both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Coral disease threatens Hawaii reef
A disease called black band coral disease is affecting nearly half of the reef sites researchers have surveyed in waters off Kauai and threatens to destroy Hawaii’s reefs, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Extraordinary Macro Timelapse of Aquatic Wildlife by Sandro Bocci
We’ve shared many time lapse videos, but this is definitely something else. The almost alien music, the stunning quality, and the surreal underwater environment is entrancing and takes you to another world. This is part of an upcoming non-speaking Italian film – “Porgrave”. This latest film by Sandro Bocci, will be released in late 2015. This is Meanwhile…:
The oldest living animal
So, we’ve already discussed about the largest and heaviest organisms in the world, now it’s time to see what the world’s oldest animal is – spoiler alert, this one is also a surprise. If you’re thinking it’s a turtle or an elephant… you’re way off. If you think it’s a whale, you’re a bit closer, but still not right. The
Felix Salazar’s amazing pictures of aquarium corals
Felix Salazar is a very talented photographer currently working in Los Angeles — doubling as a guitarist and composer. Among his favorite themes are corals, like these ones he photographed in salt water aquariums. The shocking variety of color almost makes it look like they’re enhanced in Photoshop, but Salazar ensures that his pictures are 100% real, no modifications. To me, this
Only one sixth of the original Caribbean corals remain, but damage can be reversed
It’s estimated that only a sixth of the original coral reef that covered the Caribbean waters is still alive today, according to a recent report released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). If no major interference occurs, most of the coral in the
The El Niño turns out to be more chaotic than previously thought
Why would the El Niño be important for the rest of us that don’t live in the western part of South America? Well because it also influences the climate in North America, Asia, Australia, Africa, even Europe perhaps.. so that basically means the whole world. The El Niño-the southern oscillation or ENSO is a sort of a heartbeat of the Earth’s climate,
Corals under attack summon friendly fish
The natural world sometimes has a magnificent way of dealing with its own problems – and this is exactly the case here. Coral threatened by toxic seaweeds emit a chemical signal which draws fish to eat away the danger. When Acropora nasuta corals come into contact with the toxic seaweed Chlorodesmis fastigiata, they scream for help; but they don’t use