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coral reefs

09/19/2018 / By Rhonda Johansson

Abandoned oil rigs in the sea can become valuable artificial reefs

A group of international researchers are encouraging environmental authorities to rethink their policies on removing oil rigs, wind turbines, and other sea installations after they have worn out. According to their study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, these dilapidated artificial structures become alternative reefs for flatfish, cod, and various types of bottom […]

08/11/2018 / By Zoey Sky

Killing the cure? Deep sea habitats hold promise for human health solutions but are being decimated by pollution

According to Shirley Pomponi, a marine biotechnology expert, cancer cures could be hiding among deep-sea coral ecosystems. However, these creatures are under threat because of pollution. Pomponi said that aside from being multicolored specimens, sea sponges are “potentially lifesaving creatures, some of which could hold the complex secrets to cures for cancers and other diseases.” Pomponi, […]

06/19/2018 / By Edsel Cook

Marine scientists use underwater microphones to “hear” the sound of photosynthesis

Researchers have found a new way to measure the photosynthesis levels of marine plants. A Cosmos Magazine article details how they employed underwater microphones that can pick up the sound of oxygen released by the plants. Like their terrestrial counterparts, algae seaweed and other aquatic plants generate oxygen during the photosynthetic process. Because they are underwater, the oxygen […]

05/08/2018 / By Jessica Dolores

Sunscreens destroy coral reefs by releasing harmful chemicals that disrupt microorganisms found in water

Summer is a time for sun, sea, and surf. Now, it’s also becoming a time to harm corals and the marine life they protect. That’s because the sunscreen which tourists apply generously on their skin before getting into the beach has chemicals that harm the corals living thousands of feet below the sea. Diana Slijkerman, an […]

05/07/2018 / By Vicki Batts

Hawaii bans sunscreen chemicals that destroy coral reefs

Just how toxic is your sunscreen? Many of the chemicals used to “protect” you from the sun are so hazardous that they actually threaten the well-being of some of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders, like coral reefs. In fact, the state of Hawaii just passed a bill banning the sale of sunscreens that contain […]

04/22/2018 / By Jessica Dolores

Destructive fishing methods, like explosives and poison, are still being used in the Philippines; coral reefs in danger

Anyone who has tried snorkeling under the sea can attest to the breathtaking beauty that awaits them. Corals of different colors, shapes, and sizes are everywhere. Fish — striped, silvery, slim, fat, etc. — swim past. It’s an entire universe unto itself. Sadly, this underwater paradise is under extreme threat, no thanks to illegal fishing […]

02/08/2018 / By Ralph Flores

Another danger for coral reefs: Plastic trash transports microorganisms that spread disease across the ocean floor

The phrase “deep, blue sea” may slowly become a thing of the past, as more seas and oceans are being filled up with waste plastic. Its adverse effects have surely been felt by nearly all marine life, but a team of international researchers led by Cornell University has discovered one more unfortunate effect of plastic. They found out that plastic waste […]

11/12/2017 / By Janine Acero

Australia is dealing with the “most severe bleaching event ever recorded” on its western reefs

The massive coral bleaching in the coast of Western Australia in 2016 is the most severe bleaching event in recorded history, a recent study reports. Researchers from The University of Western Australia (UWA), ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and Western Australian Marine Science Institution studied and measured how the harrowing event impacted the reef systems […]

10/21/2017 / By Russel Davis

Hurricane Harvey damage continues: Coral reefs are now threatened from the runoff

A team of researchers at the Texas A&M University’s Geochemical and Environmental Group (GERG) has found that Hurricane Harvey has generated more than 13 trillion gallons of floodwater in August, which in turn imperiled coral reefs 100 miles offshore of Galveston. According to experts, Hurricane Harvey has produced a record breaking rainfall over southeast Texas and the resulting flood […]

05/21/2017 / By Isabelle Z.

Hawaii seeks to ban toxic chemical sunscreens to save the coral reefs from chemical decimation

Many snorkelers who are drawn to Hawaii’s coral reefs have noticed that they are not brimming with life the way they once did, and it looks like they only have themselves to blame. A lot of explanations have been put forth for coral die-offs, but one of the biggest culprits is the sunscreen that is […]

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