https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. The structural complexity of coral reefs creates a vibrant underwater city populated by a diverse assortment of characters. Ironically, this same complexity can impede coral recovery after disturbances. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-dead-coral-skeletons-hinder-reef.html Ecology Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:11:05 EDT news646575061 In a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers at the UH Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) Toonen- Bowen "ToBo" Lab have identified scenarios under which eight of the most common species of coral found in Hawaiʻi can adapt to and survive ocean warming and acidification. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-curtailed-carbon-emissions-corals-survive.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 25 Sep 2024 11:15:03 EDT news646481701 When thinking of animal camouflage, we typically imagine creatures remaining still, blending seamlessly into their surroundings. But remaining motionless isn't always practical, and many animals are highly mobile, constantly moving through their environment to graze their food. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-humbug-damselfish-motion-dazzle-evade.html Plants & Animals Ecology Wed, 25 Sep 2024 09:53:04 EDT news646476782 Coral reefs will continue to experience severe heat stress as rising temperatures cause the oceans to become unbearably hot—but a new study shows that altering their feeding habits could allow local populations to avoid total extinction. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-coral-reefs-aid-recovery-events.html Ecology Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:24:05 EDT news646399441 Coastlines are vital to our world's ecology and economy. Coastal ecosystems help maintain biodiversity, provide natural barriers against erosion, storms, and flooding, and act as large carbon sinks to reduce greenhouse gases. Sustainable fisheries and seaside tourist venues support local economies. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-cement-coastline-ecosystems.html Ecology Biotechnology Tue, 24 Sep 2024 11:00:01 EDT news646387891 As a team of marine biologists, assessing the health of thousands of square meters of coral reef can be a daunting prospect. Often, we have to monitor some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, and there's a strict time limit due to the safety regulations associated with Scuba diving. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-digital-3d-huge-coral-reefs.html Ecology Biotechnology Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:50:02 EDT news646314929 New research out of Southern Cross University has found previously undocumented variation in coral heat tolerance on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, giving hope that corals' own genetic resources may hold the key for us to help in its recovery and adaptation. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-diversity-tolerance-coral-reefs.html Evolution Ecology Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:12:04 EDT news646308722 Researchers from Japan and Thailand investigating microplastics in coral have found that all three parts of the coral anatomy—surface mucus, tissue, and skeleton—contain microplastics. The findings were made possible thanks to a new microplastic detection technique developed by the team and applied to coral for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-explanation-plastic-problem-technique-microplastics.html Environment Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:42:04 EDT news646058521 SECORE International's Coral Seeding approach utilizes assisted reproduction, the breeding of corals, for reef restoration. This approach is realized within a training and partner network throughout the Caribbean. Now, a study shows that all the effort was worthwhile: during the devastating heat wave in the Caribbean in 2023, the young, bred corals out on the reef stayed healthy while most of the remaining wild corals bleached and many died in the aftermath. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-propagated-corals-reveal-resistance-caribbean.html Ecology Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:00:02 EDT news645867961 Monash University biologists have discovered that evolution can significantly impact the stability and tipping points of ecosystems, potentially causing early ecosystem collapse or aiding in their recovery. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-reveals-evolution-role-ecosystem-stability.html Evolution Ecology Wed, 18 Sep 2024 11:36:41 EDT news645878193 A team of international scientists alarmed by the loss of biodiversity across the world due to climate change has proposed a new approach to managing vulnerable landscapes, focusing on sites that are least impacted by changing weather. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-scientists-urge-approach-vulnerable-species.html Ecology Wed, 18 Sep 2024 10:12:40 EDT news645873158 Marine scientists have been taking samples from whale shark skin to try and determine the effect of pollutants on whale health. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-white-patches-whale-shark-skin.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:36:19 EDT news645698173 Research into one of the most persistent coral predators on the Great Barrier Reef has revealed a troubling paradox in reef ecosystems: the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) appears to thrive in the very conditions of coral degradation it helps create. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-crown-thorns-starfish-degraded-coral.html Ecology Mon, 09 Sep 2024 12:27:51 EDT news645103666 Gray reef sharks are having to abandon the coral reefs they call home in the face of warming oceans, new research finds. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-sharks-abandoning-stressed-coral-reefs.html Plants & Animals Ecology Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:11:04 EDT news645095462 Microplastics have raised concerns among scientists and the public in recent years due to their widespread presence and associated health risks. They have been found in every corner of the planet, from mountain peaks to the deep sea, and in the diets of many organisms, including humans. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-uncovering-microplastic-dynamics-patterns-coastal.html Ecology Mon, 09 Sep 2024 09:36:37 EDT news645093392 Neighbors can be annoying. They may be loud or intrude on your space. But is it worth fighting with them? Parrotfish choose not to. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-guardians-reef-parrotfish-coral-health.html Plants & Animals Ecology Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:35:23 EDT news644772919 University of Queensland research has revealed that informing tourists visiting the Great Barrier Reef about climate impact doesn't negatively affect their experience and can help encourage climate action. The research was published in People and Nature. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-reef-tourism-climate-action.html Environment Tue, 03 Sep 2024 12:07:03 EDT news644584022 A study by the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) is employing new methods in coral reef research. Under the leadership of fish ecologist Dr. Julian Lilkendey, an international research team utilized innovative AI technologies to analyze the movements of reef fish in the Red Sea with high precision. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-ai-peers-deep-high-resolution.html Ecology Biotechnology Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:03:04 EDT news644158982 The surprising discovery of a bacterium in a marine sponge from the Great Barrier Reef with striking similarity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen responsible for tuberculosis (TB), could unlock and inform future TB research and treatment strategies. TB remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, yet the origins of M. tuberculosis are still not fully understood. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-tuberculosis-sea-marine-sponge-microbe.html Evolution Cell & Microbiology Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:00:01 EDT news644152741 The global ocean continues to warm at a concerning rate. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-ocean-marine-food-webs-consequences.html Ecology Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:09:04 EDT news644148541 The Great Barrier Reef will continue to deteriorate, largely due to climate change, and the window to secure its future is rapidly closing. That is the sobering conclusion of a major new report into the state of the reef. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-humanity-chance-great-barrier-reef.html Environment Mon, 26 Aug 2024 12:03:04 EDT news643892581 A report released today by the Reef Authority has concluded the overall outlook for the Great Barrier Reef remains one of future deterioration due largely to climate change. This is despite some habitats and species improving over the past five years thanks to windows of low disturbance and decades of protection and management. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-great-barrier-reef-outlook-ecosystem.html Ecology Fri, 23 Aug 2024 09:17:27 EDT news643623443 Australia on Friday launched a multi-million dollar effort to stop pesticide runoff and other water quality issues on the Great Barrier Reef, the latest effort to save the ailing natural wonder. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-australia-tackles-poor-great-barrier.html Ecology Fri, 23 Aug 2024 03:01:50 EDT news643600906 Together with a European team, researchers from Senckenberg am Meer in Wilhelmshaven have described a new fish species. Gaidropsarus mauritanicus is only about 73 millimeters long and lives in the deep-water coral reefs off the coast of Mauritania. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-concealed-deep-corals-fish-species.html Plants & Animals Ecology Tue, 20 Aug 2024 11:16:19 EDT news643371355 An international team of climate scientists have used a 627-year coral record from Fiji to reveal unprecedented insights into ocean temperatures and climate variability across the Pacific Ocean since 1370. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-fijian-coral-reveals-year-pacific.html Earth Sciences Environment Fri, 16 Aug 2024 08:55:48 EDT news643017345 The UK's first large scale offshore mussel farm is allowing shellfish reefs to return to parts of the seabed off England's south coast for the first time in up to 150 years, a new study has revealed. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-historic-reveals-mussel-farm-shellfish.html Ecology Wed, 14 Aug 2024 10:42:03 EDT news642850921 The Great Barrier Reef is vast and spectacular. But repeated mass coral bleachings, driven by high ocean temperatures, are threatening the survival of coral colonies which are the backbone of the reef. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-humanity-great-barrier-reef-hottest.html Ecology Sun, 11 Aug 2024 11:30:01 EDT news642335039 As the effects of a changing climate and other ecological insults compound, many coral reefs face severe perturbations and a generally poor prognosis for recovery. In an article published in the new "Perspective and Insight" category in BioScience, Dr. Peter J. Edmunds of California State University, Northridge, argues for the continued monitoring of coral reefs, even when the seascapes they inhabit are in a significantly degraded state. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-term-coral-reef-crucial-insights.html Plants & Animals Ecology Fri, 09 Aug 2024 09:00:01 EDT news642353165 After 13 months of what felt like an endless breaking of heat records, the streak came to an end last month—just barely. The European climate agency Copernicus said Thursday that July 2024's average heat just missed surpassing July of last year. While the slightly cooler month is good news and could provide some minor relief for people exposed to extreme heat, scientists warned that the root cause of the rising temperatures, climate change, remains the same. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-month-streak-global-temperature-takeaways.html Environment Thu, 08 Aug 2024 13:50:01 EDT news642343500 Most of the underwater surveys contributing to these findings, published today, were conducted before and during the recent mass bleaching event, one of the most extensive and serious on record, and have not yet captured how many corals survived or died following the bleaching. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-great-barrier-reef-coral-onset.html Ecology Wed, 07 Aug 2024 11:10:01 EDT news642245794