Articles for tag: coral reefs

The Coral That Eats Like a Predator and Thinks Like an Ecosystem

The Coral That Eats Like a Predator and Thinks Like an Ecosystem

Annette Uy

Imagine an animal that looks like a colorful underwater flower, yet can snatch prey with lightning speed and transform entire oceans with its presence. This is the mesmerizing world of coral—creatures that defy expectations at every turn. They are hunters, architects, and community-builders all at once. In the vast blue wilderness, corals thrive by following ...

Before the Skyscrapers, Singapore Was a Coral Reef Full of Prehistoric Mollusks

Before the Skyscrapers, Singapore Was a Coral Reef Full of Prehistoric Mollusks

Annette Uy

Imagine walking through the bustling streets of Singapore today, surrounded by shimmering towers and the constant hum of city life. It’s hard to believe that beneath these concrete giants lies a story even grander—one shaped not by humans, but by the wild wonders of ancient nature. Long before Marina Bay Sands and the Supertree Grove, ...

The Deepest Coral Reef Ever Discovered — And the Life It Hides

The Deepest Coral Reef Ever Discovered — And the Life It Hides

Annette Uy

Imagine plunging into a world so deep and shadowy that sunlight barely touches its secrets. In this silent underwater realm, far below the familiar splash of tropical reefs, scientists have uncovered something truly astonishing: the deepest coral reef ever found. This discovery rewrites what we thought we knew about where life can thrive. It challenges ...

The Reefs of Tomorrow: Predicting Which Corals Will Survive Climate Chaos

The Reefs of Tomorrow: Predicting Which Corals Will Survive Climate Chaos

Annette Uy

Beneath the shimmering blue surface of our oceans lies a world of color and life so breathtaking it almost feels otherworldly. Coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the sea,” are home to a quarter of all marine life, despite covering less than 1% of the ocean floor. Yet, in recent years, this kaleidoscopic wonderland ...

The 24-Hour Clock of Coral Reefs: Night and Day Underwater Worlds

The 24-Hour Clock of Coral Reefs: Night and Day Underwater Worlds

Annette Uy

Have you ever wondered what happens beneath the waves while you sleep? Coral reefs are not just static underwater gardens—they are bustling cities that never truly rest, where the rhythm of life pulses with the rising and setting of the sun. As brilliant daylight fades and darkness sweeps in, the cast of characters on the ...

The Eternal Reef Cycle

Reefs Older Than Bones: The Rise and Fall of Ancient Coral Cities

Annette Uy

Long before the first dinosaur took its first breath, before the first tree cast its shadow on land, magnificent underwater cities thrived in Earth’s ancient seas. These weren’t built by architects or engineers, but by tiny marine organisms that created structures so massive they could be seen from space, so enduring they outlasted entire geological ...

Diver swimming near the algae

Coral Secrets Revealed: Diver-Operated Microscope Captures Photosynthesis in Real Time

April Joy Jovita

A new diver-operated microscope is revolutionizing coral research by allowing scientists to observe photosynthesis and microalgae behavior directly in the ocean. Developed by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Benthic Underwater Microscope Imaging PAM (BUMP) offers unprecedented access to coral bleaching and how they respond to environmental stress. A Technological Leap for Coral ...

Paleoerosion-planed off fossil coral in fossiliferous limestone

Prehistoric Coral Reefs Reveal What Centuries of Fishing Have Cost Us

April Joy Jovita

A groundbreaking study of 7,000-year-old fossilized coral reefs has revealed how centuries of humans have dramatically altered Caribbean reef ecosystems. Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research compares ancient reef communities with modern ones, uncovering a cascade of ecological changes triggered by the loss of top predators. A Window Into Prehuman ...

an underwater view of corals and sponges in the ocean

Reef Health Check: Microbes Offer a Powerful New Monitoring Tool

Jan Otte

The “rainforests of the sea,” coral reefs are under crisis. Rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and acidification have driven these rich ecosystems to the brink; half of the coral cover lost since the 1950s. Conventional monitoring depends on visual polls, tracking fish numbers and coral bleaching. What if, however, the true narrative of reef health is ...