You’ve heard of mini reefs, nano reefs, pico reefs, femto reefs but forget about all that because scientists have just taken the title of the world’s smallest coral aquarium. The coral-on-a-chip is the smallest possible live aquarium environment consisting of a single…
Science
Casper the friendly cephalopod?
A curiously cute new octopus was recently discovered whtn NOAA’s exploration ship Okeanos Explorer took a dive off the Hawaiian Archipelago. This charming and ethereal cephalopod was captured on video during first dive of the season. The internet is enthralled…
Virus outbreaks may be linked to coral bleaching event
Significant outbreaks of viruses may be associated with coral reef bleaching events, especially as a result of multiple environmental stresses including rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. A recent study at Oregon State University has documented a virus outbreak, including a…
Fragments of hope is an example of reef restoration done right
Laughing Bird Caye National Park in Southern Belize is home to one of the Caribbean’s more successful reef restoration projects. With over 30,000 coral fragments planted to date, Fragments of Hope is a true ray of hope for the future…
What if bio-fuel from algae could power our reef tanks?
The brain child of architectural designer Jacob Douenias and Industrial designer Ethan Frier, the ‘Living Things’ art installation in Pittsburgh contains furniture of a possible and not too distant future where the symbiosis between human beings and microorganisms are on…
Acidic oceans, not warmer oceans are making it harder for baby corals to survive
We’ve all heard the story, the worlds oceans are become more acidic which is bad news for corals. A new study published Friday in the journal Science Advances suggests that ocean acidification may be affecting the growth rates of baby…
Using the world’s most powerful Xray laser to look deep inside corals
Corals are amazing living animals which are continually building up new layers right on top of their endoskeleton. By examining a cross section of a coral skeletons, these layers or “growth-bands” can reveal clues about the coral’s past. Much like…
Hundreds of Manatees shut down Crystal Springs in Florida
The United States Fish & Wildlife Service were forces to temporarily shut down part of Florida’s Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge after nearly 300 manatee gathers in the warm waters of the Three Sisters Springs forcing out swimmers and kayakers.…
It’s a shark eat shark world: Shark snacking on another shark caught on video
This video may not help with your fear of sharks. This video footage is making the rounds on social media and in the news, showing a sand tiger shark munching on a smaller banded hound shark at at the Coex…
Fluorescent Fridays – Explore a fluorescent coral reef with Luminescent Labs
We are seeing more and more fluorescent photographs emerging from the interwebs but this is the first time we have found a fully interactive Fluorescent coral reef you can explore without getting wet. For this week’s edition of Fluorescent Fridays…