New Atlas

Environment

Aerial survey reveals extent of coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef

Rich Haridy April 10, 2017

After a study last month revealed that the Great Barrier Reef was suffering a coral bleaching event for the second consecutive year, scientists have completed an aerial survey of the reef offering more evidence of the environmental catastrophe that is currently taking place.

A recently completed aerial survey of the Great Barrier Reef has confirmed that a coral bleaching ...

Biology

Reef-eating starfish could be lured away by lust

Nick Lavars April 5, 2017

Researchers have sequence the genome of the crown-of-thorns starfish and identified proteins that it uses to communicate and gather, something that could be replicated to lure the prickly predators away from fragile reef systems.

The researchers say this type of approach could be used to clamp down on invasive species ...

Environment

Time-lapse video shows what happens when coral can't take the heat

Nick Lavars August 16, 2016

By recording a close-range, time-lapse video of coral's response to rising sea temperatures, researchers have gained some new insights into how it expels algae from its tissue, a risky defense mechanism known as coral bleaching.

H. actiniformis happens to be a coral species particularly resilient to coral bleaching

Science

New underwater microscope provides ringside seat to coral turf wars

John Anderson July 12, 2016

Marine scientists are getting an up-close view of never-before-seen coral sea life thanks to a newly-developed microscopic imaging system built for underwater use. It’s the first instrument to capture underwater images of seafloor organisms with near micrometer resolution.

Marine researcher studying coral micro-organisms with the Benthic Underwater Microscope developed by scientists at Scripps Institution ...

Environment

Synthetic material mimics coral's ocean-cleaning attributes

Chris Wood July 24, 2015

Researchers from China's Anhui Jianzhu University have developed a synthetic substance that mimics coral's ability to collect harmful heavy metals from water. Tests on the effectiveness of the aluminum oxide structure have so far shown promising results.

A synthetic material that mimic the structure of coral could help remove toxic heavy metals from ...

Science

Unlocking the sunscreen code of marine life may offer complete UV protection

Lakshmi Sandhana August 14, 2013

Natural compounds from corals found in the Great Barrier Reef and light-absorbing pigments pumped out by artificial bacteria are the basis for two new sunscreens that offer complete UV protection (lacking in all current sunscreens) against lethal cancers.

Workers harvest sunscreen-producing bacteria from Norway's Trondheim fjord (Photo: Credit Geir Klinkenberg, SINTEF)

Robotics

Coral-repairing robots take a step closer to reality

Darren Quick April 16, 2013

A team at Herriot-Watt University’s Centre for Marine Biodiversity and Biotechnology has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help it develop "coralbots" that would help repair damage to coral reefs.