coral reefs – envirobites

Friday, April 26, 2024

Reef Remodeling: How Reef Carpets Could Change How We View Reef Restoration

March 1, 2024February 23, 2024 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments coral, coral nurseries, coral reef ecosystem, coral reefs, marine biology, marine conservation, marine science, marine species, Restoration

Coral reefs are one of the most important marine ecosystems in the world, but climate change and other stressors are pushing on their wellbeing and leading to degradation. That’s where reef restoration comes in, where scientists and volunteers work to reproduce tiny corals and transplant them onto degraded reefs—but this restoration mostly focused on survivability, and not variety. In a new approach, a group of scientists have constituted what they call “Reef Carpets”, which are patches of restoration efforts filled with biodiversity. They found that these “Carpets” jumpstart a whole reef ecosystem, leading to better outcomes in the long run.

Climate Ecosystems Remediation

Relief for the Reef – Connecting Coral Resilience with Restoration Efforts

June 1, 2022June 30, 2022 Andrea Valcarcel 0 Comments Climate Change, climate resiliency, coastal resilience, coral, coral bleaching, coral nurseries, coral reef ecosystem, coral reefs, habitat restoration, reef restoration, rehabilitation, resilience, Restoration

Coral reefs are ecologically important for both marine and land species, offering support for high biodiversity. They also represent one of the most threatened ecosystems, especially as a result of climate change and human intervention. Due to their vulnerability and significance, many efforts have been made to restore these vital ecosystems, yet the worldwide success rates for coral reef restoration aren’t nearly as high as scientists had hoped. So, now the question is: is there anything that can be done to make coral reefs and their restoration more resilient to the threats they face?

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

Coral reefs are in hot water: Could upwelling save the day?

April 13, 2020April 12, 2020 Elisabeth Lang 0 Comments Climate Change, coral bleaching, coral reefs

Coral reefs do best in warm water, but when the water gets too hot, they bleach. Upwelling, which brings cooler water from the deeper parts of the ocean, occurs worldwide, including where coral reefs can be found. With climate change, ocean temperatures are increasing and coral bleaching events are happening more frequently. Could upwelling help protect coral reefs from hot water?

Ecosystems Environmental Science

Is 3D printing the future of conservation ecology?

December 13, 2019 Lauren Bonatakis 0 Comments 3D printing, Conservation, coral reefs, damselfish

3D printing is a new tool that is starting to be used in ecology. Researchers from the University of Delaware conducted an experiment to test whether 3D printed corals impact the behavior of a coral reef fish, the blue green chromis, in a laboratory setting. The results of experiments like these can pave the way for innovative techniques for habitat manipulation studies in the future.