Category: News

Great Barrier Reef Is Bleaching Again. It’s Getting More Widespread.

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April 6, 2020 By Damien Cave The New York Times
“It’s the first time we’ve seen severely bleached reefs along the whole length of the reef, in particular, the coastal reefs,” said Professor Hughes, the director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University. “Those are bleached everywhere.” New aerial data from Professor Hughes and other scientists released on Monday shows example after example of overheating and damage along the reef, a 1,500-mile natural wonder.

The Kelps Are Alright: Studies Reveal Resilience in Kelp Forests

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April 2, 2020 By Liz Kimbrough Mongabay
A survey of 11 locations in the easternmost region of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago revealed no significant differences in the abundance of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) or the sizes of the kelp holdfasts (the part that anchors it to the rocky bottom) since they were first surveyed more than 45 years ago. According to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, the diversity and amounts of sea urchins also remained relatively unchanged between the two time periods.

Ocean deoxygenation: A silent driver of coral reef demise?

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April 1, 2020 Science X
The existence of coral reefs, in all their abundant biodiversity and beauty, relies largely on a complex symbiosis between reef-building corals and microalgae. This finely tuned, fragile, partnership is constantly under threat from environmental stress—most notably the twin effects of warming waters and ocean acidification caused by climate change. But scientists say a third driver, that of ocean deoxygenation, could pose a greater and more immediate threat to coral reef survival.