New instrumentation and growing modeling needs in the Earth sciences are driving a renewed effort to compile and curate seawater oxygen isotope data in a centralized, accessible database.
coral reefs
Posted inNews
After a Hurricane, Coastal Systems Draw a Line in the Sand
A new study finds nature can’t have it both ways: On the basis of thousands of case studies from dozens of hurricanes, there’s always a trade-off between resistance and resilience.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Reef-Building Corals at Risk from Ocean Warming, Acidification
Physiological limitations on regulating internal chemistry restricts corals’ ability to deal with ocean acidification and warming, thereby reducing resilience to continued environmental change.
Posted inNews
Degraded Coral Reefs May Be More Resistant to Climate Change
New research on Kiribati’s beleaguered atolls paints a complex picture of reef recovery.
Posted inNews
Sea Cucumbers: The Excremental Heroes of Coral Reef Ecosystems
Drone surveillance reveals just how big a contribution sea cucumbers make to reef habitats.
Posted inNews
Rethinking Darwin’s Theory of Atoll Formation
Atolls have a long and complex history related to seafloor evolution, and Darwin’s model is only the beginning of the story.
Posted inNews
Climate Change May Shift Coral Population Dynamics
New paleoceanographic research indicates that warming waters may contribute to fewer coral reefs but to a flourishing presence of soft-bodied corals.
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Scientists Support Local Activities to Rescue the Mesoamerican Reef
The reef’s report card analyzed 286 sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Communities, scientists, and governments are working to improve coral and ecosystem resilience.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Corals Make Reliable Recorders of El Niño Fluctuations
A new tool that reconciles modeling and paleoclimate data builds confidence that tropical Pacific corals reliably archive natural variability in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation climate pattern.
Posted inNews
A Brighter Future for Coral Reef Islands
Although some islands demonstrate more resiliency than previously thought, island communities may require significant flood-resistant infrastructure to maintain their way of life.