[USA] Algae can help corals adapt to warming seas but scientists have discovered they have relationship issues. It’s complicated. Continue reading Scientists unlock genetic mystery: Why corals reject life-saving algae
Tag Archives: coral
National Geographic: Hawaii enlists urchins to help corals resist algae invasion
[USA] In the 1970s, a researcher at the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology plopped some new, non-Hawaiian species of algae into the Continue reading National Geographic: Hawaii enlists urchins to help corals resist algae invasion
Combination of light and temperature naturally regulate algal abundance
[Australia] A two-year study by University of Queensland researchers has found the amount of algae on a coral reef is Continue reading Combination of light and temperature naturally regulate algal abundance
More than 100 new species found in newly discovered Bermuda ocean zone
[Global] The ocean never ceases to surprise us, even in waters we’ve studied for decades.
Continue reading More than 100 new species found in newly discovered Bermuda ocean zone
Coral color is more than cosmetic
[USA] For corals, color is more than superficial. Across the tropical Pacific, one species of reef-building coral, known as rice coral, comes Continue reading Coral color is more than cosmetic
New mutant coral symbiont alga able to switch symbiosis off
[Japan] Researchers in Japan have identified the first spontaneous mutant coral symbiont alga to not maintain a symbiotic relationship Continue reading New mutant coral symbiont alga able to switch symbiosis off
Sponges and algae are choking the Caribbean’s coral reefs
[Mexico] Descending into the clear blue water of the Colombia Reef, off Cozumel in Mexico, there are two ways to look at what greets you. Continue reading Sponges and algae are choking the Caribbean’s coral reefs
Scientists create hybrid coral to combat reef destruction
Coral reefs are not only a beautiful cacophony of colors and textures, but these organisms also play a very crucial role in the ocean. While they cover less than 0.1 percent of the ocean’s surface, coral reefs are home to a large percentage of sea life. Corals grow by laying down their skeletons and can thrive because of algae that live in their tissue. This algae captures sunlight as an energy source and is an essential key to building reefs.
Yet, coral reefs are dying at an alarming rate. Their inability to adapt to the rapidly changing climate is threatening to disrupt the aquatic environment many marine organisms depend on. According to Professor Madeleine van Oppen, a senior researcher on coral reefs from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Melbourne, increased carbon dioxide in the environment during recent history has contributed to not only increased ocean temperature but also stronger, more frequent storms.
As the oceans heat up, the algae from the coral becomes damaged, and the coral loses its color and turns pale. The most famous area that has experienced this change is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef which lost half of its coral in just two years and has undergone substantial coral bleaching. The increased number of heavy storms also damages the reefs and scientists estimate that if nothing is done, coral reefs could be wiped out by 2050.
However, van Oppen is creating a solution to help oceans get ahead of the problem. She and her team are working towards coral reef restoration by finding ways to make the coral strong enough to cope with the rising global temperatures. To create coral that is resistant to environmental changes, she’s focusing on a few approaches such as genetic manipulations to increase stress tolerance and probiotic administrations to improve health.
Van Oppen’s approach to producing improved coral stock is similar to how farmers improve crops and animals through careful selection and breeding. While this method does involve human-assisted evolution, van Oppen is not creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) since no new genetically modified material is being introduced.
Instead, her team is using the technique of accelerating a naturally occurring evolutionary process so that a living organism, in this case coral, can better adapt to its changing environment. So far, it’s working. The experiments have successfully crossed different types of corals to create hybrids that can handle heat better and they are looking to test them in the Great Barrier Reef.
Her team is also trying to strengthen coral algae. By using beneficial bacteria as a probiotic remedy, they can help corals cope with stress before they start to bleach. This approach would allow scientists to help an established reef get out of trouble instead of having to create one from scratch every time a coral reef dies.
While creating stronger coral might help reefs stay ahead of extinction for a little while, it is not a permanent solution since the climate might continue to get hotter at faster speeds. Still, as the environment evolves, scientists are determined to buy the oceans some time.
View original article at: Scientists create hybrid coral to combat reef destruction
Chinese scientists plant corals undersea
[China] Deep in the silent sea, Huang Hui can hear only bubbles gurgling from her oxygen tank. She can only see a few meters Continue reading Chinese scientists plant corals undersea
Animals and plants aren’t the only categorization for living beings; there are several which defy classification
[Global] Life is so complex. We think of all beings as animals or plants, and this means a lot when you are vegetarian and determined Continue reading Animals and plants aren’t the only categorization for living beings; there are several which defy classification