Coral

An international team of researchers has made a discovery that could prove useful to the efforts to preserve the world's coral reefs, using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tool to identify a key gene that regulates their response to heat stress.

OMA has unveiled plans for an ambitious underwater project located just off the coast of Miami Beach. Named ReefLine, it's conceived as an artificial reef and snorkeling attraction, and will reach a total length of 7 miles.

In an attempt to help secure the longterm future of corals from the Great Barrier Reef and elsewhere, Contreras Earl Architecture has unveiled the world's first dedicated coral conservation center. It will keep over 800 species of hard coral alive.

As if they don't already face enough challenges from bleaching, many of the world's coral reefs are currently being eaten by the crown-of-thorns starfish. A simple new portable test kit, however, could detect their presence sooner than ever before.

As recent bleaching events have shown, warming ocean waters pose a great threat to the existence of natural wonders like the Great Barrier Reef, but a new study shows why they aren’t the only factor that needs to be taken into account.

Scientists are exploring many options when it comes to shoring up the wellbeing of coral reefs in the face of warming waters, and an international team of researchers is putting forward another possibility, showing how probiotics can boost their health and chances of survival.

Not all corals respond to bleaching events by turning ghostly white, with some instead becoming shimmering arrays of bright neon colors. The authors of a new study believe this is an attempt to lure the much-needed algae back home.

Among the potential solutions to coral bleaching and death is the idea of developing new types of coral that are more resistant to heat, and researchers in Australia are reporting new success in this area using a technique called directed evolution.

NASA is calling on citizen scientists to help identify and classify the world's corals by playing a virtual diving game, so that experts can better understand how they are evolving and how they might be best preserved for the future.

Corals serve as a host to algae, which produces sugars that the corals consume. Now, scientists have 3D-printed coral that's even more algae-friendly than its natural equivalent – it could help limit coral bleaching, and provide a source of biofuel.

New research suggests the world's coral reefs face a battle to survive in the face of warming and more acidic waters, with scientists behind the new study projecting that as much as 90 percent of them could disappear within a couple of decades.

Underwater loudspeakers could be used to revitalized devastated corals, by blasting the sounds of healthy reefs to make them more attractive to young fish. Earth’s ocean reefs are currently under major threat from human-led climate change.