Researchers have just discovered a new species of bacteria that cranks out a deadly toxin. In a common arrangement in the marine environment, a slug and alga both use this toxin for their own defense.
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Articles on Coral reefs
Displaying 1 - 20 of 128 articles
New research reveals that miniature, brightly coloured fish play an outsized role in the marine food chain in coral reefs.
The Western Australian coral reefs may not be as well known as the Great Barrier Reef, but they're just as large and diverse. And they too have been devastated by cyclones and coral bleaching.
A new study found shallow water corals with high temperature tolerance in their DNA. Could they make reefs more resilient to climate change?
A new report shows that coral reefs reduce damage from floods across the United States and its trust territories by more than $1.8 billion every year – and pinpoints that value state by state.
After repeated bleaching in 2016 and 2017 corals on the Great Barrier Reef are producing far fewer offspring.
Marine heatwaves have caused coral bleaching in one of the most isolated ecosystems in the world.
As the mid-winter break draws crowds to beaches, tourists may be wondering if their sunscreen is toxic to coral reefs.
In the cold southern oceans, underwater mountains support deep-sea reefs.
A coral biologist sampled corals from the most remote reaches of the Indo-Pacific and discovered that all of them show signs of stress.
The Maldives may end up with perfect conditions for reef island building, but no new coral to build islands with.
Coral reefs are in trouble, but other marine species are also feeling the strain but are off the conservation radar.
Marine sponges are ancient organisms that have survived mass extinctions. Many are more tolerant of climate change and may dominate over corals in future reef systems.
Field samples, satellite measurements and isotopic data have shed new light on corals' eating habits.
Researching the most resilient corals could help us find ways to better protect reefs in the future.
Coral reefs are in crisis around the world, and may disappear entirely. 3D printing is a new idea to help them – but it won't be a cure all.
Our children all know the little clownfish Nemo, star of the Pixar film. But why does he have three stripes, rather than one or two? Developmental and evolutionary biology are revealing the answer.
The $444 million awarded to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has been criticised as a politically calculated move. But governments have been asking what the reef can do for them ever since colonial times.
Scientists have used 'tree rings' in coral to identify centuries of stress.
Not everything humans put in the ocean is garbage. From walls of tyres to sunken sculptures, reef restoration is both a science and an art.
Top contributors
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Distinguished Professor, James Cook University
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Director, Global Change Institute, The University of Queensland
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Jon Brodie is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professorial Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
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Jon C. Day is a Friend of The Conversation.
PSM, Post-career PhD candidate, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
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Visiting Scientist, San Diego State University
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Postdoctoral fellow, Bangor University
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Coral Reef Ecologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Senior Lecturer, James Cook University
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Adjunct Lecturer, James Cook University
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Professor, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland
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Professor & ARC Future Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence, Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
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Bob Pressey is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor and Program Leader, Conservation Planning, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
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Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
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Director, Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland
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Senior Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO
