Science

Monaco will install 3D printed reefs to battle declining reefs

Global warming is rearing its ugly head around on the world’s reefs and Monaco is taking an interesting path to help rejuvenate strained reefs by using 3D printed reefs to help sustain its reefs. The plan is to install six 3D…

How to build a coral reef using frag plugs and empty bottles

Take one look at your reef tank and you won’t have to look far to find a frag plug. While most of our corals come on ceramic discs or squares, frag plugs come in all shapes and sizes. Frag plugs…

‘Project Coral’ fundraising event slated for November 14 at UK’s Charterhouse Aquatics

Project Coral has been a creative and revolutionary project spearheaded by Jamie Craggs curator of the UK’s Horniman Aquarium and they are hosting a fundraising event on November 14 to ensure the project continues. You may recall, Project Coral is behind the…

Unseen Corals: The square fossils of Goniophyllum

Ever since our visit to the vast coral collections at the Smithsonian Institution, we’ve had our mind on all the “unseen coral” species out there, living and fossil. We think we know a lot about coral but really, the aquarium hobby…

Annual Coral Mass Spawning in Mozambique

If your first image of Africa isn’t white sand beaches and jaw dropping coral reefs, you’ve probably never been to Mozambique, and the Quirimbas Archipelago is no exception with beaches and reefs as far as the eye can see. The…

A visit to the okayama University of Science

In light of MACNA and the hectic schedule of traveling, we haven’t been able to finish up recounting our visit to Japan. Now that the dust has settled, we’re obligated to tie up the loose ends and finish up this short series.…

COTSbot seeks and destroys invasive Crown of Thorn starfish

The Crown of Thorns starfish (COTS) has been a destructive force on reefs for years. They eat coral and reproduce like mad. Humans have been fighting this creature and now have a new robotic “terminator” helping with the cause. Researchers…

Crossbreeding may be the key to coral survival in warming seas

Researchers are looking for ways to create a more heat resilient coral to battle the negative impacts of warming oceans. By mixing and matching corals of the same species from different latitudes, the team is hoping to find a way…

Hawaii’s reefs gets photographed for Google Street View

First the Great Barrier Reef, then Florida and now Hawaii is getting the Google Street View love. According to a recent Associated Press report, Hawaii’s reefs are getting mapped as part of a larger project by the XL Catlin Seaview…

Scientists use ‘Big Data’ to map ocean floors

The University of Sydney’s School of Geosciences is using big data to build digital maps of the ocean floors. Big data — a broad term describing data sets so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate —…