Tag: "reefs" at biology news

An (ecological) origin of species for tropical reef fish

...f a huge number of closely related fish species on reefs in an open undersea world where currents constantly stir the waters, washing in fish or their larvae from afar, a world without well-defined geographical barriers? Rocha et al. took a close look at the genetics of one group of Western Atlantic tropic...

Searching the depths of the straits of Florida for disease cures

...gling, but researchers expect to discover pristine reefs there down to 3,000 feet that could lead to a new reputation for the area as the source of lifesaving drugs. Regular dispatches and photos from the expedition will be posted at http://www.at-sea.org. "We don't really know what organisms to expect," ...

Tsunami-damaged coral reefs should be left to recover naturally, say scientists

Coral reefs damaged in the Asian tsunami tragedy should be all...astation by cyclones and typhoons, which show that reefs recovered without human intervention. Although the devastation caused by the tsunami was on a much ...

Scientists discover global pattern of big fish diversity in open oceans

...environmental changes. Open Ocean Hotspots Coral reefs have long been known for their rich diversity of fish and invertebrates, but examining the diversity of highly mobile fish in the open ocean has been elusive. Using the only global data set stretching back to the 1950's ?Japanese longline fisheries d...

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Many of 2 billion dryland dwellers at risk as land degrades

...s far away as North America and has affected coral reefs in the Caribbean." The report shows infant mortality in drylands in developing countries averages about 54 children per 1,000 live births, 10 times that of industrial countries. Importantly, the rate in such drylands is twice as high as that of othe...

Environmental lessons from tsunami as world's coastal population doubles

...coastline. Sand dunes, mangrove forests and coral reefs helped reduce the energy of tsunami waves in Sri L...logists show that natural ecosystems such as coral reefs and coastal mangrove forests can adapt to change and recover from storms and floods and still provid...

Hidden sponges determine coral reef's nutrient cycle

...eserve the coral reefs. In order to protect coral reefs it is important to understand how both the reefs and their environment function. Researchers often concentrate on subjects such as physical damage to...

Drugs from the deep blue

...as slimy mats or filaments in places such as coral reefs and mangrove lagoons. Some of these compounds have biochemical activities that could be useful in medicine -- killing microbes, stopping growth of cancer cells, or affecting the flow of calcium in and out of cells. Marine natural products are an ec...

Oysters: The natural way to protect our shores

...on Ecology finds that in coastal Louisiana, oyster reefs help to deter erosion. Oyster reefs are self-sustaining, and are additionally attractive because they use native materials, have the pot...

Deep treasure to be found in Oculina Bank

...to help protect Florida's unique oculina deepwater reefs On Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005, scientists will be... marine resources--the spectacular deepwater coral reefs of the Oculina Bank--some 30 years after their discovery. Among the team's goals is the start of a s...

Marine conservation organizations team up to conduct Indonesia coral reefs assessment

...s understand the extent of the damage to the coral reefs from the tsunami and therefore guide management de...extremely important to determine the status of the reefs in order to predict future food availability from the sea in this area," said Reef Check Director Gr...

Health of coral reefs detected from orbit

...s Envisat could potentially monitor impacted coral reefs worldwide on a twice-weekly basis. Coral bleachin...Oceans Flagship program."The concern is that coral reefs might pass a critical bleaching threshold beyond which they are unable to regenerate." Aerial or b...

Health of Acehnese reefs in the wake of the tsunami shows human impacts more harmful

...s week in Current Biology, tsunami damage to coral reefs closest to the epicenter of the 2004 Sumatra-Andam...am, and Syiah Kuala University visited a number of reefs in northern Aceh. Some of the same reefs had also been visited in 2003, presenting a unique opportun...

Pacific Islands paradise protected

...e rich ocean life of their home. "If the coral and reefs are protected, then the fish will thrive and grow and bring us benefit," President Tong said. "In this way all species of fish can be protected so none become depleted or extinct." The Republic of Kiribati and the New England Aquarium developed the ...

Tiny polyps gorge themselves to survive coral bleaching

... The discovery, derived from experiments on coral reefs in Hawaii , provides new insights into how these t...-98 El Nino event, 16 percent of the world's coral reefs sustained serious bleaching due to increases in seawater temperature and the animals died. "If the...

Too much sugar not good for coral reefs

...nutrient rich runoff that threatens the very coral reefs attracting tourists in the first place. David Kl...stitute and colleagues find that bacteria on coral reefs grow out of control as the level of simple sugars in seawater increases. "I set up a seawater syste...

Cuttlefish masters of disguise despite colorblindness

...dwide; they are particularly abundant around coral reefs and temperate rock reefs in which the visual habitat is richly varied. Cephalopods can change their appearance with a speed a...

How marine reserves are giving coral reefs a helping hand

...ssential to the health of the system." "Caribbean reefs are still trying to recover from the devastating e...ork. Sharks have been heavily fished on most coral reefs so it's always a thrill to visit one of their sanctuaries." ...

'Dead zone' summer killed billions of ocean state mussels

...assive mussel die-off. In a survey of nine mussel reefs located in the central bay, researchers found one ... before hypoxia hit, researchers surveyed the same reefs and saw acres of healthy, densely packed mussels blanketing the estuary floor. "What we saw was a l...

The critical importance of mangroves to ocean life

...sts may not have the scientific allure of tropical reefs or rain forests, a team of researchers has noted that the woody coastline-dwelling plants provide more than 10 percent of essential dissolved organic carbon that is supplied to the global ocean from land, according to a report to be published 21 Febr...

1 2 3