Anderson Mayfield - NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

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

AOML Communications — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 15:06:09 +0000

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.

The post Building Endurance to Beat the Heat: New Study Preps Corals for Warming Waters appeared first on NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Monitoring Reefs in the Dry Tortugas | NOAA & CIMAS | Expedition 39

AOML Communications — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 19:40:49 +0000

A new video by the ANGARI Foundation, focuses on the efforts of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorlogical Laboratory coral researchers to document climate-driven impacts–thermal stress, ocean acidification, and ecological changes–at coral reefs in the Dry Tortugas.

The post Monitoring Reefs in the Dry Tortugas | NOAA & CIMAS | Expedition 39 appeared first on NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Urban Corals Persist in Unlikely Places

AOML Communications — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 17:41:30 +0000

When we look at the state of corals globally, it can be difficult to see a silver lining, but a recent paper published in Frontiers in Marine Science shows hope for corals in unlikely places. In the study, scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science compared the molecular processes of brain corals (Pseudodiploria strigosa) living in urban waters at the Port of Miami with offshore corals at Emerald Reef. They found the urban corals had adapted to challenging conditions that helped them differentiate and consume healthy food particles over diseased organisms.

The post Urban Corals Persist in Unlikely Places appeared first on NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Characterizing Coral Resilience in the Anthropocene: A Reef in the “New Normal”

AOML Communications — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000

It can be hard to stay upbeat as a marine biologist, especially with the onslaught of existential threats like climate change facing the planet. Coral reefs are arguably the ecosystem that stands to lose the most with respect to climate change, namely because the resident organisms are highly sensitive to elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the limestone-based reef framework itself is diminishing before our eyes due to the accompanying rise in carbon dioxide levels (which decreases oceanic pH, leading to ocean acidification). That being said, there are corals out there that display resilience, continuing to thrive in habitats that would appear decidedly marginalized to even the untrained eye.

The post Characterizing Coral Resilience in the Anthropocene: A Reef in the “New Normal” appeared first on NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Scientists at AOML Present Coral Research at the First Virtual International Coral Reef Symposium

AOML Communications — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 18:17:10 +0000

Coral scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) will be presenting their research at the 14th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) from July 19-23, 2021, which will be held virtually for the first time in the history of the ICRS.

The post Scientists at AOML Present Coral Research at the First Virtual International Coral Reef Symposium appeared first on NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.

Moonlit coral spawning event will shed light on coral resilience in the Florida Keys

NOAA Research — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 16:44:20 +0000

Last week AOML and CIMAS coral researchers, Graham Kolodziej, Anderson Mayfield, and Derek Manzello, entered the ocean off of the Upper Florida Keys to collect tiny floating balls being released from the protected mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata). Taking place shortly after moonrise, the spawning process is a visually beautiful part of the circle of life for corals, releasing gametes into the ocean water to become fertilized and eventually settle to create new corals stony coral colonies.

The post Moonlit coral spawning event will shed light on coral resilience in the Florida Keys appeared first on NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory.