Tag: coral reefs

AOML Coral Program demonstrate the importance of teamwork, tackling coral conservation from various angles

Coral researchers from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the University of Miami Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science (CIMAS) recently organized into three teams and ventured into the field to tackle a multitude of research projects relating to sensitive coral ecosystems in Miami and the Florida Keys.  The first project, led […]

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Genetic variants of the coral Acropora cervicornis linked to elevated nutrient and heat stress resistance

A recent study by scientists at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Science, the Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS), and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) identified genetic variants in staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, that can tolerate elevated temperatures and nutrient pollution, two environmental stressors that […]

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Coral Rescue in Miami Beach

A team of coral researchers from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Miami (UM) rescued 43 coral colonies after a sea wall collapsed at Star Island, near Miami Beach. The rapid coral rescue effort occurred at one of NOAA’s regularly monitored research sites. While conducting a routine survey, scientists from […]

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Climate Refugia on the Great Barrier Reef

Jennifer McWhorter, PhD, started at NOAA AOML in April  2022 as an Oceanographer with the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division. Jennifer’s research spans climate science, physical oceanography, and coral reef ecology to better understand climate threats to reef ecosystems. She is now researching the influence of open ocean processes on mesophotic coral reefs using the biogeochemical Argo array in the Gulf of Mexico.

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Building Endurance to Beat the Heat: New Study Preps Corals for Warming Waters

In a recent study published in the journal Coral Reefs, scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) found that staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) fragments exposed to an oscillating temperature treatment were better able to respond to heat stress caused by warming oceans.

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River Runoff Creates a Buffer Zone for Ocean Acidification in the Gulf of Mexico

A new study by scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) has revealed the alkalinity of river runoff to be a crucial factor for slowing the pace of ocean acidification along the Gulf of Mexico’s northern coast. This valuable, first-time finding may be indicative of ocean carbon chemistry patterns for other U.S. coastal areas significantly connected to rivers.

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Habitat Altering Processes Are Uncovered for Reefs in the Eastern Pacific

Trying to predict how coral reefs will respond to warming oceans and a changing climate may be considered a daunting task for scientists. In the face of this challenge, scientists at AOML recently published a study that characterizes the organisms and processes that lead to coral reef accretion (build up) and bioerosion (break down) in the dynamic environments of the Gulf of Panama and Gulf of Chiriqui in the eastern Pacific.

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