New research on Kiribati’s beleaguered atolls paints a complex picture of reef recovery.
coral reefs
Posted inNews
Sea Cucumbers: The Excremental Heroes of Coral Reef Ecosystems
Drone surveillance reveals just how big a contribution sea cucumbers make to reef habitats.
Posted inNews
Rethinking Darwin’s Theory of Atoll Formation
Atolls have a long and complex history related to seafloor evolution, and Darwin’s model is only the beginning of the story.
Posted inNews
Scientists Support Local Activities to Rescue the Mesoamerican Reef
The reef’s report card analyzed 286 sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Communities, scientists, and governments are working to improve coral and ecosystem resilience.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Corals Make Reliable Recorders of El Niño Fluctuations
A new tool that reconciles modeling and paleoclimate data builds confidence that tropical Pacific corals reliably archive natural variability in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate pattern.
Posted inNews
A Brighter Future for Coral Reef Islands
Although some islands demonstrate more resiliency than previously thought, island communities may require significant flood-resistant infrastructure to maintain their way of life.
Posted inNews
Report Examines New Tools to Protect Coral Reefs
Coral reefs face threats including habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. A novel set of interventions could help them persist in rapidly degrading environmental conditions.
Posted inNews
Coral Microbiomes Offer Clues for Resilience and Conservation
Some coral species might be better equipped to adapt to a warmer, more acidic ocean. Finding out which ones, and why, could be the key to saving reefs around the world.
Posted inNews
Heat Waves, More Than Coral Death, May Cause Fish to Flee Reefs
A study over a broad swath of the Great Barrier Reef shows that warming waters directly cause fish and invertebrates to leave the reef, making it harder for coral to recover from bleaching events.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Fossilized Caribbean Corals Reveal Ancient Summer Rains
Isotope records and climate modeling suggest that the rainy Intertropical Convergence Zone expanded northward into the southern Caribbean during a warm interglacial period about 125,000 years ago.