Great Barrier Reef

A NASA satellite photo of the pumice raft

Environment

Giant rocky raft to help restore the Great Barrier Reef

A huge raft of volcanic rock is floating towards Australia – and scientists say it'll help the ailing Great Barrier Reef.

The "LarvalBot" undersea robot has dispersed microscopic baby corals (coral larvae) to help scientists working to repopulate parts of the Great Barrier Reef

Marine

"LarvalBot" underwater robot delivers first batch of coral babies to the Great Barrier Reef

A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) team has developed the "LarvalBot" underwater robot that, for the first time, has succeeded in reseeding damaged areas of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with heat tolerant baby coral polyps to help combat the effects of predators and climate change.

The Great Barrier Reef is under threat from a string of coral bleaching events prompting the development of new ideas to help it

Environment

Robots to play "stork" and plant coral larvae around the Great Barrier Reef

That Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is in serious trouble is no longer subject to debate, but the best way to deal with the problem very much is. The latest idea to emerge involves robots playing the role of "the stork" and distributing coral larvae across the Reef to promote new growth

The RangerBot can monitor and protect reefs for up to eight hours at atime

Marine

Underwater drone watches over reefs – and kills coral-destroying starfish

It's no secret that the world's coral reefs are in trouble, and unfortunately scuba divers can only do so much in the way of monitoring or protecting them. Scientists in Australia, however, have developed an autonomous underwater drone that could be of great help.

In an effort to help protect the Great Barrier Reef, Australian researchers have proposed recycling dead coral fragments into large structures that promote new growth

Environment

Dead coral recruited to help keep the Great Barrier Reef alive

The ultimate fate of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is looking pretty dire. Now, researchers from the University of Queensland have outlined a plan to recycle dead coral into structures that can help protect the remaining reef and promote new growth.

A new study has found that the Great Barrier Reef has persisted through five major "death events" in the past – but the current problems could be happening too fast for the coral to keep up

Environment

Great Barrier Reef has "died" five times already – but this might be the last straw

As the fate of the Great Barrier Reef remains uncertain, a new study has examined the health of the reef over the last 30,000 years, and found that it has suffered five “death events” in the past – but its current woes could be the last straw.

Scientists have discovered that corals on the Great Barrier Reef emit compounds that end up as aerosols above them for cooling

Biology

Coral reefs put up "cloud umbrellas" to keep cool

We've recently seen a number of proposals for protecting coral reefs from the dangers of climate change, and now it turns out that corals already have a self-defense mechanism. They can release aerosols into the atmosphere to create a protective "cloud umbrella."

Environment

Could a floating film protect coral reefs?

Although the outlook may be bleak for the world's coral reefs overall, there might at least be hope for little bits of them. Scientists at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation have announced development of an eco-friendly film that could help protect corals against bleaching.

Researchers at work examining coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef

Environment

Giant fans, starfish assaults and the half-baked plan to save the Great Barrier Reef

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is in a bit of trouble. The Australian government has announced a AU$60 million plan to preserve the world's largest living structure, but environmental experts are wondering whether it is simply a way of avoiding a larger, more complex issue.

Severe coral bleaching has affected huge swathes of the Great Barrier Reef for two consecutive years

Environment

"Perfect thermal storm" caused 2016 Great Barrier Reef coral bleaching

The Great Barrier Reef has seen better days, after a one-two punch of coral bleaching events struck it in 2016 and 2017. Warming sea temperatures has been pegged as the culprit, but researchers have found that a “perfect thermal storm” of oceanographic conditions led to the 2016 mass bleaching.

Scientists have confirmed that 29 percent of shallow water corals in the Great Barrier Reef died from bleaching in 2016

Environment

Great Barrier Reef bleaching even worse than first thought

The news has gone from bad to worse to "very concerning" for Australia's Great Barrier Reef, with the world's largest reef system suffering through a second consecutive coral bleaching event that is proving even more destructive than first predicted.

Bleached coral on the Great Barrier Reef

Environment

Coral bleaching returns to the Great Barrier Reef

Last year was a tumultuous time for Great Barrier Reef, which suffered through the worst coral bleaching event on record. Now one year on, signs are beginning to appear that 2017 could also bring bad news for the world's largest reef system.