Conservation Science
Photo by Ryan Pernofski
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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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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
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The Allen Coral Atlas Introduces the First Comprehensive Map of Shallow Water Coral Reefs
On September 8, 2021, it was officially announced that a comprehensive map and monitoring system of the world’s shallow water coral reefs, the Allen Coral Atlas, was completed. This tremendous effort was led by Arizona State University in collaboration with scientists, universities, private entities, and NGOs across the globe—including the Coral Reef Alliance. The tool
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New Research Turns Basic Ecological Theory on its Head
In a lot of ways, corals are like trees—they stay rooted in one spot their whole lives, and they disperse their young into the environment. With many trees, their young typically fall to the ground and stay relatively close. But with corals, their young are moved by ocean currents that can carry them thousands of