Reef ecosystems are complex, three-dimensional marine habitats, typically structured by biogenic reef-builders such as scleractinian corals, coralline algae, or oysters, that support highly diverse, spatially structured communities of microorganisms, algae, invertebrates, and vertebrates. They are characterized by strong environmental gradients (light, nutrients, hydrodynamics), tight biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and intricate trophic networks linking primary producers, detritivores, and higher consumers. Research on reef ecosystems focuses on processes such as calcification, bioerosion, symbiosis (e.g., coral–Symbiodiniaceae associations), connectivity among reef patches, and responses to stressors including warming, acidification, eutrophication, and overfishing, with implications for ecosystem resilience and regime shifts.
A study led by Associate Professor Kelton McMahon at University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography has found that food webs on tropical reefs are more fragile than we once thought. Instead of being part of ...
Ecology
Jul 23, 2025
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Floating about 500 feet offshore of Illinois Beach State Park, Hillary Glandon tightened her scuba goggles, grabbed a small masonite plate from a nearby kayak and dove beneath the Lake Michigan surface.
Plants & Animals
Jul 23, 2025
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A long-term study investigating the growth of corals in the Caribbean over the past century has shown that even stress-tolerant species of corals are finding it difficult to adapt to increasing ocean temperatures and other ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 22, 2025
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Gall crabs are tiny, and yet these crustaceans have evolved fluorescence to help them be concealed within hideouts they have created in the coral itself.
Plants & Animals
Jul 21, 2025
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Why do people care about coral reefs? Why does their damage cause such concern and outrage? What drives people to go to great lengths to protect and restore them?
Ecology
Jul 19, 2025
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A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals a surprising discovery in the fight against one of the most destructive coral diseases in the Atlantic and Caribbean: high sea surface temperatures may slow ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 15, 2025
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Plunge into the shallows off the Florida Keys, Hawaiʻi or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and you are likely to meet a startling sight.
Ecology
Jul 15, 2025
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123
In a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind milestone for coral restoration, scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, Tela Marine and The Florida Aquarium have outplanted ...
Ecology
Jul 15, 2025
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Across the globe, oceans are acidifying as they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, threatening coral reefs and many other marine organisms.
Environment
Jul 14, 2025
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102
Researchers have identified how thyroxine, a human thyroid hormone, can positively influence the life-critical calcification in soft corals, and have developed a unique technique for injecting molecules into coral tissues.
Ecology
Jul 9, 2025
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