https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Benefits to society from coral reefs, including fisheries, tourism, coastal protection, pharmaceutical discovery and more, are estimated at about $9.8 trillion per year. For the first time, an international team led by Smithsonian researchers estimated the extent of coral bleaching worldwide during a global marine heat wave, finding that half of the world's reefs experienced significant damage. Another heat wave began in 2023 and is ongoing. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-world-coral-reefs-major-global.html Earth Sciences Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:00:04 EST news689849281 As carbon emissions continue to be pumped into the atmosphere at record levels, it will be critical to recapture and sequester as much of these warming gases as possible. While technological approaches face many barriers before they can be scaled up, efforts to capture carbon can rely on proven, natural interventions, like blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs). UConn researcher Mojtaba Fakhraee makes the argument in a Nature Sustainability paper that strategic placement of BCEs can not only sequester carbon, but have the added benefit of helping with the restoration of another vital ecosystem—coral reefs. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-pairing-mangroves-coral-reefs-boost.html Ecology Mon, 09 Feb 2026 17:40:01 EST news689867295 European coastal areas are under increasing pressure. Researchers are investigating ways to reverse this trend and help communities adapt to climate change. From Arctic fjords to Mediterranean seagrass meadows, centuries of human activity have damaged habitats that were once full of life. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-seagrass-french-oysters-fresh-solutions.html Environment Sat, 07 Feb 2026 10:00:03 EST news689443170 Millions of tires, old washing machines, barges, warships, covering the ocean floor with thousands of square kilometers of concrete—even giant, concrete spheres full of holes: these are all things used to build artificial reefs. Advocates of artificial reefs say they are needed because they promote habitat for fish and increase biodiversity. These are indeed potential solutions to pressing problems: global oceans are faced with widespread degradation of habitat, overfishing and a loss of biodiversity. And recent legislation such as the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act has incentivized governments, industries and private foundations to explore infrastructure and technologies to make fishing and other ways we use our oceans more sustainable, according to Jacob Allgeier, University of Michigan professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-qa-scientific-artificial-reefs.html Ecology Tue, 03 Feb 2026 11:38:51 EST news689341081 New pieces have been added to the puzzle of the evolution of some of the oldest fish that lived on Earth more than 400 million years ago. In two separate studies, experts in Australia and China have found new clues about primitive lungfishes, the closest living relatives of land vertebrates. The new research builds on long-running work by Flinders University and other paleontologists in the fossil-rich Gogo site in Western Australia's far north, and with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-high-tech-scans-enigmatic-million.html Evolution Tue, 03 Feb 2026 07:22:25 EST news689325642 Scientists have created an AI model that forecasts moderate heat stress—a major precursor to coral bleaching—at sites along Florida's Coral Reef up to six weeks ahead, with predictions generally accurate within one week. The study, published in Environmental Research Communications, presents a site-specific, explainable machine-learning framework to support coral scientists and restoration practitioners with local reef management and emergency response planning. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ai-coral-stress-florida-reefs.html Ecology Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:40:01 EST news689259073 A third of fish living in the remote coastal waters of the Pacific Island Countries and Territories are contaminated with microplastics, with especially high rates in Fiji, according to an analysis published in PLOS One by Jasha Dehm at the University of the South Pacific and colleagues. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-microplastics-surveyed-fish-coasts-remote.html Environment Wed, 28 Jan 2026 14:00:05 EST news688730341 Rising ocean temperatures have been implicated in mass coral bleaching events affecting the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These events have been increasingly frequent, with major events occurring in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, it appears that regulations introduced in 2020 to reduce ship fuel pollution may have actually increased the solar radiation that leads to increased coral bleaching, according to a study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-shipping-pollution-exacerbated-great-barrier.html Environment Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:30:01 EST news688390192 Air pollution is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to human health, contributing to an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-cleaner-air-inadvertently-great-barrier.html Environment Sat, 24 Jan 2026 23:40:02 EST news688384908 Life in the ocean runs on light. It fuels photosynthesis, shapes food webs and determines where many marine species can live. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-threat-marine-darkwaves-ocean-life.html Ecology Sat, 24 Jan 2026 13:10:05 EST news688222876 It's no secret that Florida's iconic coral reefs are in trouble. Repeated body blows from hurricanes, pollution, disease, climate change—and a near-knockout punch from a 2023 marine heat wave—has effectively wiped several species off the map and shrunk the reefs that stretch from the Keys throughout South Florida. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-florida-reefs-multimillion-dollar-survive.html Earth Sciences Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:16:56 EST news688382162 Coral reefs, the "rainforests of the sea," provide habitats for 25% of all marine life. Critical to global biodiversity, they are essential for food supply, culture and recreation and coastal protection from hurricanes for communities around the world and even contain a vast array of bioactive chemical compounds that could be critical to medical advances. But half of the world's coral reefs have been lost in the last 50 years and scientists fear that warming seas from climate change will decimate 70–90% of what remains by the end of this century. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-worldwide-solutions-coral-reefs.html Plants & Animals Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:38:40 EST news688318681 Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands have discovered that microorganisms in seawater surrounding corals provide a powerful indicator of coral disease, potentially transforming how reef health is monitored worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-seawater-microbes-invasive-coral-disease.html Ecology Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:50:05 EST news688142664 New research by Monash University and the ARC Center of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century analyzed close to three decades of weather data during the coral bleaching season and identified the prevalence of "doldrum days," and the absence of the trade winds, as a key factor in the mass bleaching events threatening the Great Barrier Reef. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-calm-seas-coral-reveals.html Earth Sciences Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:20:42 EST news688040360 Sharks are the most feared predators in the sea, and their survival hinges on fearsome teeth that regrow throughout their lives. But changes in the ocean's chemistry could put those weapons at risk. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-sharks-famous-fearsome-teeth-ocean.html Plants & Animals Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:50:03 EST news687782961 When Hurricane Delta hit Mexico's Caribbean coast in 2020, insurance payouts were released within days—not to rebuild hotels or roads, but to repair coral reefs. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-economics-climate-natural-habitats.html Environment Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:35:29 EST news687447301 Tropical coral reefs cover less than 1% of the seafloor, yet support 25% of all marine species. They are also incredibly vulnerable. Over the past few decades, an estimated 30–50% have already been lost. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-year-coral-reefs.html Ecology Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:50:03 EST news686839482 With a human population of 8.3 billion people worldwide and millions facing malnutrition, food security is something to think about. But imagine if the ocean could help with that. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-coral-reef-fish-recovery-boost.html Ecology Sun, 04 Jan 2026 12:21:44 EST news686751657 Coral reefs are often described as biodiversity hotspots, but new research shows they also act as powerful regulators of the microscopic life in the surrounding ocean. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-coral-reef-daily-pulse-reshapes.html Plants & Animals Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:04 EST news686307045 Oxygen tank strapped to his back, Michael del Rosario moves his fins delicately as he glides along an underwater nursery just off the Dominican Republic coast, proudly showing off the "coral babies" growing on metal structures that look like large spiders. The conservationist enthusiastically points a finger to trace around the largest corals, just starting to reveal their vibrant colors. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-reefs-coral-fertilization-dominican-republic.html Ecology Tue, 16 Dec 2025 10:37:13 EST news685103704 South Africa is home to some of the oldest evidence of life on Earth, contained in rocky, often layered outcroppings called microbialites. Like coral reefs, these complex "living rocks" are built up by microbes absorbing and precipitating dissolved minerals into solid formations. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-south-africa-rapidly-absorb-carbon.html Ecology Tue, 16 Dec 2025 06:41:36 EST news685089658 Corals obtain energy in two ways: firstly, through photosynthesis by their symbiotic algae, and secondly by taking up small food particles such as plankton directly from the water. In scientific terms, this process is known as "heterotrophy." https://phys.org/news/2025-12-corals-energy-ingested-food-previously.html Plants & Animals Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:37:38 EST news685035421 JCU Professor of Marine Biology Morgan Pratchett has published new research in Biology demonstrating the best injection method to kill the problematic Crown-of-thorns starfish and prevent them from spawning. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-method-critical-crown-thorns-starfish.html Plants & Animals Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:19:14 EST news684760741 University of Sydney marine biologists have identified a devastating combination of coral bleaching and a rare necrotic wasting disease that wiped out large, long-lived corals on the Great Barrier Reef during the record 2024 marine heat wave. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-climate-extremes-trigger-rare-coral.html Plants & Animals Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:00:01 EST news684414961 Coral reefs may seem like paradise, but they are being degraded by a range of global and local factors, including climate change, poor water quality, and overfishing. New research reveals that connections between reefs help stabilize reef health, reducing the risk of collapse, and that a dual approach—improving conditions on both land and sea—may be the best way to protect these crucial ecosystems. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-coral-reefs-boost-health.html Plants & Animals Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:30:04 EST news684516411 South Australians are suddenly hearing a lot about oyster reefs—from government, on the news and in conversations, both online and in person. It's not accidental. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-oysters-south-australia-algal-bloom.html Plants & Animals Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:26:39 EST news684487561 A new study highlights how Indigenous leadership, science and business can unite to protect coastal ecosystems while building long-term environmental and cultural knowledge. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-tropical-australian-standard-indigenous.html Earth Sciences Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:13:30 EST news683961182 Globally, coral reefs are under siege by multiple stressors, one of which is herbaceous algae. An overabundance of algae on reefs can lead to regime shifts of reefs from being coral-dominated to algal-dominated. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-surgeonfish-display-unique-algae-coral.html Plants & Animals Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:22:36 EST news683893321 Coral reefs have long been celebrated as biodiversity hotspots—but new research shows they have also played a much deeper role: conducting the rhythm of Earth's carbon and climate cycles for more than 250 million years. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-coral-reefs-stabilized-earth-carbon.html Earth Sciences Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:00:04 EST news683822521 New research reveals that one of the largest-ever marine conservation initiatives has helped to prevent more frequent crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-fish-curbs-crown-thorns-starfish.html Plants & Animals Mon, 01 Dec 2025 11:03:35 EST news683809382