Menu Close

Articles on Coral reefs

Displaying 1 - 20 of 178 articles

Shutterstock

Spotting plastic waste from space and counting the fish in the seas: here’s how AI can help protect the oceans

Humans are expert pattern-finders. But artificial intelligence tools are better at trawling through vast data sets to find anything from waste dumps to heat-tolerant corals.
Researchers discovered five new species of black corals, including this Hexapathes bikofskii growing out of a nautilus shell more than 2,500 feet (760 meters) below the surface. Jeremy Horowitz

Scientists discover five new species of black corals living thousands of feet below the ocean surface near the Great Barrier Reef

Black corals provide critical habitat for many creatures that live in the dark, often barren, deep sea, and researchers are learning more about these rare corals with every dive.
Mayotte’s surrounding coral reef is made up of three different structures more than 350 kilometers long. The lagoon they form is threatened by climate change and erosion. Axelspace

Restoring Mayotte’s lagoon: when a newly born volcano meets human resilience

Mayotte is no exception to the adage “small islands, big problems”. A newly born volcano combined with poor land management and accelerating climate change has put its fabled lagoon at risk.
Sunscreens for sale at a Walgreens drug store. Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is ‘urgently needed,’ while also calling sunscreens essential protection against skin cancer

Rising concern about possible environmental damage from the active ingredients in sunscreens could have ripple effects on public health if it causes people to use less of them.
Many places have banned sunscreens with certain chemicals in an attempt to help protect coral reefs. Westend61 via Getty Images

Corals and sea anemones turn sunscreen into toxins – understanding how could help save coral reefs

Researchers have long suspected that an ingredient in sunscreen called oxybenzone was harming corals, but no one knew how. A new study shows how corals turn oxybenzone into a sunlight-activated toxin.

Top contributors

More