Conservation Science
Photo by Ryan Pernofski
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![Marine Water Quality Protocol Now Available for Mesoamerican Reef System [Comprehensive Guide]](https://static.coral.org/uploads/2023/06/WC-Protocol-Cover.jpg)
Marine Water Quality Protocol Now Available for Mesoamerican Reef System [Comprehensive Guide]
CORAL has reached a major milestone and is excited to release the Protocol Handbook for Monitoring Marine Water Quality in the Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) System. What exactly is the Protocol Handbook? The first of its kind, this coordinated water quality sampling project is a giant leap forward in giving water quality monitoring the spotlight it…
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What is Coral Restoration, and Can it Save Coral Reefs?
Can coral restoration save coral reefs? We hear this question a lot at the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL). It’s a good question and a complex one. Let’s dive deeper into the nuances of restoration. What is coral restoration? Coral restoration refers to a set of conservation techniques aimed at helping degraded coral reefs recover by…
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What is Coral Bleaching and Why Should You Care?
So, picture this: you’ve just arrived at your dream tropical destination, ready to explore the crystal-clear waters and the vibrant underwater world. As you strap on your snorkeling gear and dive into the ocean, you’re immediately transported into a magical world of colors and shapes. The water is warm, the sun is shining, and the…
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Could Underwater Thermometers Help Save Coral Reefs from Climate Change?
Forty underwater temperature loggers now sit underwater on coral reefs across the Bay Islands in Honduras. Their purpose? To identify the temperature range that corals can withstand and typically experience within a year. These ONSET TidBits, as they’re known, measure water temperatures every minute and store the data internally. Every four to five months, a…
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Coral Reefs Can Adapt to Climate Change – Here’s How
By: Ben Charo, Conservation Science Program Coordinator If we don’t curb greenhouse gas emissions and slow the warming of our oceans, 99% of the world’s coral reefs are predicted to be gone by the end of this century. Indeed, reefs are already in serious decline. So it might surprise you to hear that within the…
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Cultivating super corals alone is unlikely to protect coral reefs from climate change
A new study shows that popular restoration efforts would need to be conducted at much greater spatial and temporal scales than currently pursued in order to have long-term benefits. OAKLAND, CA – May 11, 2022 – A new study this week shows that a popular coral restoration technique is unlikely to protect coral reefs from…
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The Great Barrier Reef is Hit With Another Mass Bleaching Event. Here’s How We’re Responding
Another widespread bleaching event has begun, and all eyes are focused on the Great Barrier Reef. This is the sixth mass bleaching event impacting Australia’s famous reefs and is driven largely by the planet’s rising ocean temperatures. In recent weeks, field scientists and marine park authorities have reported signs of minor to severe bleaching on…
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Our 2022 Impact: Protecting Coral Reefs that Can Adapt to Climate Change
Could a map be used to estimate the likelihood that a coral reef can adapt to climate change? That’s one of the biggest questions driving our Global Conservation Science team these days. In collaboration with the Allen Coral Atlas (the Atlas), a global map and monitoring system for shallow water coral reefs, we are leading…
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Halloween is Almost Here…but it’s Climate Change that Should Really Scare You
It’s October, a time when eerie legends come alive and the world’s most frightening monsters are out to play. But among the goblins, ghosts, and creepy clowns, here at CORAL, there’s a different type of beast that truly spooks us—climate change. Sure, climate change doesn’t look like a typical monster. It doesn’t have fangs like…