The fire coral (Millepora boschmai) is one of the rarest species of coral in the world. It is known only from a small number of locations in the Pacific Ocean, Panama and Indonesia, and it appears this…
The new findings show that long term geological processes influence global coral diversity patterns more than the environment.
AAP Image/Nick Thake
Earthquakes, volcanoes and movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates influence coral diversity patterns more than short-term environmental changes, a new study by Australian researchers has found. The study…
Air pollution has been found to have affected coral growth in the Caribbean over many decades.
Lester Kwiatkowski, University of Exeter
Tiny particles of air pollution can stunt the growth of coral reefs, according to a [new study in Nature Geoscience](http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1780](http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1780). Using coral…
Recent research shows an acidifying ocean is more damaging to coral than we’d hoped.
Community Eye Health
Ocean acidification - where the ocean becomes less alkaline as it absorbs excess CO2 from the atmosphere - has been described as the evil twin of global warming. Yet, remarkably, it is only over the past…
As Doha disappoints on delivering any real progress on reducing global CO2 emissions, new research demonstrates that a key component of coral reef structures may be more resilient in the face of increasing…
A high level of coral cover doesn’t always mean a high level of species diversity; and diversity is important.
Maria Beger
The health and productivity of coral reefs is rapidly declining. Hard corals are the principal builders of coral reef ecosystems; however they are struggling to survive due to pollution, catchment clearing…
Killing starfish one by one is no long-term solution.
Paul Cizek
A recent report on coral loss from the Great Barrier Reef has pointed the finger at cyclones and Crown of Thorns starfish. The real culprit is human activity, and until we reduce port activity and pollution…
The Great Barrier Reef may be huge and long-lived, but without intervention it’s in serious trouble.
Landfeldt/Flickr
John Bruno, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
There is a myth about Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, that goes like this: because it is so big, biodiverse, so well-managed and generally bloody awesome, the GBR is immune to climate change and other…
We thought we’d set a safe limit on climate change - 450ppm CO2 - but it may be too high for most of the world’s reefs.
Paul Toogood
One of the ambitions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is galvanising the international community to avoid dangerous interference with Earth’s climate. To do this, it…
Little penguins are among a number of species that are threatened by climate change.
AAP/Rick Stevens
Fish are on the move in Australia’s waters. In southern Australia, scientists, commercial and recreational fishers, divers and beach-goers are reporting the presence of new species. The movement of species…
Coral species Acropora monticulosa is becoming more abundant at the Solitary Islands in northern NSW.
The east coast of Australia is a global hotspot for the effects of climate change, especially in the marine realm, where average water temperatures have increased by almost half a degree over the last…
Internal “pumps” found in some corals may help them to endure gradual ocean acidification, giving rise to hope that coral reefs might escape climatic devastation, according to new research. A team of scientists…
Internet surfers will soon be able to go below the surface to immerse themselves in the spectacular coral and marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, under a joint venture between global technology giant…
Unlike the Great Barrier Reef, some coral reefs off Western Australia have flourished in the past century. Flickr/kibuyu.
Coral reefs off part of Western Australia’s coastline have flourished over the past 110 years, despite the rise of carbon dioxide levels in the world’s oceans, new research has found. But the growth has…
The release of the Coral Sea Commonwealth marine reserve proposal is a milestone achievement in marine protection. The area proposed to be covered is larger than that of many small European nations. In…