The good folks over at Coral Sea Foundation have uncovered an interesting paper on parrotfish that challenges the existing norms on their role on the reef. Until now, Parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) were thought to be herbivores that eat algae and…
50 Reefs Around The World That Could Survive Climate Change
Coral reef ecosystems around the world are facing serious threats from the impacts of rapid climate change. Rising ocean temperatures are causing corals to bleach and die at an alarming rate and it is estimated that 70–90% of the world’s…
Life On Earth Would Suck Without Coral Reefs
If you’re reading Reef Builders on the regular, there’s a good chance that you wake up thinking about live corals, how to grow them better, make them more colorful, and the frags you’ll get or share with reefing friends. But…
Could Genetically Modified Algae Save Coral Reefs?
Coral Reefs Photosynthetic marine algae are crucial to the survival of the coral reefs. These tiny algae live symbiotically inside coral tissue and are responsible for converting sunlight into usable energy for the coral’s survival. Yet as we know all…
Even The Most Isolated Reefs Are Suffering From Global Warming
The assumption is still widely held that isolated reefs, far from human activities are better off than reefs around densely populated and heavily used areas. However, a recent study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports found that isolated coral reefs are in…
Dredging in Florida could damage vulnerable corals
Wednesday, Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau warned that a plan to expand a Florida port is “lunacy” and that it risks devastation the already degraded coral ecosystem. The plan to expand Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida…
NASA gets the reefing bug
NASA is spreading its interest to the underwater world as the agency we typically associate with outer space begins a three-year NASA CORAL field expedition gets underway this year to survey more of the world’s coral reefs. The NASA-led study…
Friday Smorgasbord: Tracy Morgonian gets Incognito Sofa Love, gray whales, atolls and more
Hey! It’s Friday and that means another fresh edition of the Friday Smorgasbord fresh out of the oven. This week we have a few good nuggets including an audio post, whales and coral atolls. Let’s get the party started right…
