Coral Reef : Science World Report

Oct 31, 2014 06:48 AM EDT

Deep Sea Cold-Water Corals Fuse Their Skeletons to Build Reef Habitats

It turns out that cold-water corals may just get along with others in an unusual way. Scientists have found that the coral, Lophelia pertusa, can fuse skeletons of genetically distinct individuals.

Sep 30, 2014 10:02 AM EDT

Guardian Crabs: Coral Reefs Protected by Vigilant Crustaceans

While coral reefs may be under attack from climate change and coastal development, there may be one animal that's protecting them.

Sep 18, 2014 09:52 AM EDT

Baby Clownfish are More Adventurous Than Adults: 'Nemo' Travels Across the Open Ocean

It turns out that clownfish are a bit more adventurous in their youth. Scientists have discovered that baby clownfish may travel hundreds of kilometers across the open ocean before settling down in an anemone of their own.

Sep 18, 2014 08:47 AM EDT

Acid Oceans Caused Great Barrier Reef's Growth Rates to Decline by 40 Percent

Could we be heading for a new and grimmer era for coral reefs? An expedition to Australia's Great Barrier Reef has found that coral growth rates have plummeted by 40 percent since the mid-1970s.

Sep 03, 2014 09:04 AM EDT

Corals Stir Up the Water: Tiny Animals Engineer Their Environment for Nutrients

Corals may just be more active than scientists once thoughts. Researchers have found that these tiny animals actually engineer their environment in order to sweep water into turbulent patterns that greatly enhance their ability to exchange nutrients and dissolved gases with their environment.

Aug 23, 2014 11:47 PM EDT

Fish Can Sniff Out Bad Coral Neighborhoods: The Smell Test for Reefs

It turns out that a bad neighborhood smells pretty bad--especially when it comes to damaged reefs. Scientists have found that Pacific corals and fish avoid settling in bad regions by sniffing out chemical cues.

Aug 18, 2014 12:07 PM EDT

Scientists Discover New Reef Coral Species in the Red Sea

Scientists may have uncovered a new reef coral species from Saudi Arabia. After investigating a hard coral from the Red Sea, researchers have determined that it is indeed a new species.

Jul 29, 2014 08:11 AM EDT

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill is Still Impacting Coral Communities in the Gulf

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused devastation in its wake. Even today, ecosystems are still feeling its impacts. Now, scientists have found two additional coral communities showing signs of damage from the oil spill.

Jul 09, 2014 10:32 AM EDT

Survival of the Fattest: Corals Adapt to Climate Change by Getting Fat

Scientists have found that the future health of the world's coral reefs and the animals that depend on them relies on corals' ability to keep large fat reserves.

Jul 07, 2014 08:04 AM EDT

How Commercial Fishing Drastically Impacts Reefs and Algal and Coral Cover

Scientists have taken a closer look at commercial fishing and have found that it dramatically alters nearby reef ecosystems, disturbing microbes, corals, algae and fish.

Jul 02, 2014 10:36 AM EDT

Caribbean Coral Reefs May Disappear in 20 Years: Can Decline be Reversed by Saving Parrotfish?

Caribbean coral reefs are facing steep decline. In fact, only about one-sixth of the original coral cover is left in these warm seas. Now, scientists have found that these reefs may completely disappear in the next 20 years.

May 19, 2014 11:48 AM EDT