Coral Reefs
The U.S. Virgin Islands Becomes the First American Jurisdiction to Ban Common Chemical Sunscreens
The new law, passed unanimously in the U.S. Virgin Islands’ legislature on June 25th, targets three UV-blocking chemicals found in most mainstream commercial sunscreen products.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Bans Potentially Dangerous Sunscreen Chemicals
The science community is still debating these ingredients' effects on the environment.
How Bleached Coral Reefs Permanently Change Local Fish Communities
A new study found that bleached reefs had fewer predators such as snappers and groupers and more plant-eating fish such as parrotfish and rabbitfish.
Is Your Sunscreen Harming Coral Reefs?
A single study was the main catalyst for recent sunscreen ingredient bans, yet the science community is still debating those ingredients' effects on coral reefs—and even on sunscreen users.
Are Deep Sea Reefs Really a Lifeboat for Our Vanishing Corals?
A new study has cast doubt on the extent to which mesophotic reefs may be a refuge for shallower species hit by overfishing, warming waters, and extreme weather.
Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Gun deaths in the U.S. hit a 20-year high, the Supreme Court declines to wade into an abortion debate, and a study offers some hope for coral reefs.
Coral Reefs Are Increasingly Threatened by the One-Two Punch of Cyclones and Bleaching
But scientists are having a hard time illustrating these problems as shifting baselines continue to redefine what is considered normal for reef health.
Measuring the Continued Destruction of Coral in the Great Barrier Reef
Australian scientists now report that coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef has fallen sharply in all three sections of the reef for the first time in 35 years of continuous monitoring.
The Knock-On Effects of Rats on Island Ecosystems
New research finds that the biomass of the entire fish community was nearly 50 percent larger around the rat-free islands.
Coral Reef Loss Could Cost Countries Billions
According to a recent study, losing just the top three feet of coral reef could result in $4 billion a year in flood-related damages.
This Satellite-Based Monitoring System Could Be a Game-Changer for Coral Reef Conservation
An innovative monitoring system would allow researchers, policymakers, and environmentalists to track reef damaging events across the globe in near-real time.
Biologists, Divers, and Fishers Are Creating Inventive Tools to Combat a Lionfish Invasion
Lionfish are non-native invaders introduced to Florida waters 30 years ago that have since proliferated to pestilent levels and unleashed an ecological crisis that is only getting worse
Seven 'Pacific Standard' Stories for Earth Day
Highlighting the mess humans have made of the planet—and radical plans to fix it.
Corals Can Withstand Another Century of Climate Change
Heat-tolerant genes may spread through coral populations fast enough to give the marine creatures a tool to survive another 100 years of warming in our oceans.
How Coral Bleaching Events Affect Ecological Diversity
As a result of rising ocean temperatures coral bleaching is becoming more common, and it's causing a biotic homogenization of local fish populations.
Our Plastic Waste Is Destroying the World's Coral Reefs
New research shows the extent to which our dependence on plastic is infecting, damaging, and killing coral reefs from Thailand to Australia.
Ending the Ecologically Harmful Capture of Tropical Fish
Experts are hoping that new captive breeding programs, replacing harmful fishing practices, could help prevent future harm to coral reef ecosystems.
Climate Change Is Starving Our Coral Reefs
A new study shows that coral bleaching events are recurring faster than reef ecosystems can recover.
Could Dust Storms From Africa Be Damaging Ecosystems in the Florida Keys?
It appears that dust blown off the Sahara desert may be initiating harmful bacteria growth in coral reefs across the Atlantic.
Behind the Restorative Effects of Coral Gardening
The technique involves planting fragments of nursery-raised coral on reefs in the wild to replenish depleted colonies.
What It Would Take to Restore One of the World's Richest Marine Ecosystems
Raja Ampat, an island chain off the coast of New Guinea, is home to perhaps the world's richest marine biodiversity
Could an Invasive Species Save Caribbean Coral Reefs?
Coral ecosystems around the globe are collapsing thanks in large part to human activities. How far should we go to save them?
Inside the Race to Save Cuba’s Coral Reefs
Given the dual threats of climate change and increased tourism, conservationists are attempting to gather all the data they can before it’s too late.
The Race to Save Cuba’s Coral Reefs
Given the dual threats of climate change and increased tourism, conservationists are attempting to gather all the data they can before it’s too late.