Corals Archives - NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

Key Study Demonstrates Buffering of Some Florida Reefs Against Ocean Acidification

AOML Communications — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 20:30:29 +0000

A groundbreaking new study spanning more than a decade and hundreds of miles of the Florida Coral Reef demonstrates the key role benthic communities play in reducing the impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems, specifically Ocean Acidification.

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12 Days of AOML Research

AOML Communications — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 22:27:01 +0000

Happy Holidays to all! As we close out 2023, join us as we look back at some of our top research highlights this year! From responding to heat waves to setting records and launching new tech, our dedicated team continues to push the boundary in an effort to support NOAA’s mission to build a climate-ready […]

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Digital Coral Morphology

Thia Griffin-Elliott — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 21:29:52 +0000

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A Bold and Unprecedented New Effort to Tackle the Vast Threats to Marine Ecosystems

AOML Communications — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 15:43:16 +0000

NOAA announced $4.2 million in funding awarded to a collaborative project entitled the Florida Regional Ecosystems Stressors Collaborative Assessment (FRESCA), co-led by NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the University of Miami, and involving seven different academic and research institutions.

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NOAA Scientists Return to Cheeca Rocks, Find Reef Completely Bleached

AOML Communications — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:29:14 +0000

The growing concerns of coral bleaching due to the ongoing marine heatwave across South Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the greater Caribbean led scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Lab (AOML) to return to Cheeca Rocks on July 31st and August 1st, 2023.

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New study establishes monitoring framework for evaluating reef persistence under climate change and ocean acidification

AOML Communications — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 19:07:03 +0000

Webb, A.E., Enochs, I.C., van Hooidonk, R. et al. Restoration and coral adaptation delay, but do not prevent, climate-driven reef framework erosion of an inshore site in the Florida Keys. Sci Rep 13, 258 (2023).

For reef framework to persist, calcium carbonate production by corals and other calcifiers needs to outpace loss due to physical, chemical, and biological erosion. This balance is both delicate and dynamic and is currently threatened by the effects of ocean warming and acidification. Although the protection and recovery of ecosystem functions are at the center of most restoration and conservation programs, decision makers are limited by the lack of predictive tools to forecast habitat persistence under different emission scenarios. To address this, we developed a modelling approach, based on carbonate budgets, that ties species-specific responses to site-specific global change using the latest generation of climate models projections (CMIP6). We applied this model to Cheeca Rocks...

Download Full Paper.

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What a Marine Heatwave Means for South Florida

AOML Communications — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 19:35:36 +0000

A marine heatwave has spread across the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean with temperatures ranging between one and three degrees Celsius (~2-4.5˚F) above average. Ocean temperatures around south Florida are the warmest on record for the month of July (dating back to 1981). Marine heatwaves are not unprecedented, but their influence on tropical storm development and coral reef health, as well as the persistence of the current heatwave, are among the causes for concern.

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Threats to Coral

Thia Griffin-Elliott — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:58:59 +0000

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AOML Interns Dive into DNA Extraction and Processing Coral Samples for ‘Omics Analyses

AOML Communications — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 21:57:25 +0000

Only a few weeks into summer, Coral Program Interns Lorelei Ing, Taylor Gill, Zachary Zagon and Kenzie Cooke have been hard at work as they process coral samples and perform DNA extractions in preparation for ‘Omics analyses that will help to better understand how the genetic structure of corals influences their resilience to environmental stressors. The Coral Program falls within the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division (OCED) at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML).

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Port of Miami Corals Remarkably Persistent

AOML Communications — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:03:33 +0000

The Port of Miami is a bustling waterway with large cruise and cargo ships, ferries, fishing vessels, and recreational boats. As it turns out, this waterway is also home to a thriving coral community.

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