coral - NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

The robot and the reef: Can enriched seawater fast-track coral restoration?

AOML Communications — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:22:01 +0000

Alkalinity enrichment in the lab may be the key to more effective reef restoration. An innovative Ph.D. student puts this hypothesis to the test using cutting-edge technology. In a tank filled with glass jars, stir bars, and coral babies settled onto ceramic tiles, a robotic arm glides with precision, dosing each jar with various levels […]

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Offspring of opportunity: First-ever spawn collected from urban corals in Miami could bolster future reefs

AOML Communications — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:21:17 +0000

Scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) have successfully overseen the first-ever crossbreeding between grooved brain corals (Diploria labyrinthiformis) collected from a highly urbanized site in PortMiami and a nearby reef – a breakthrough that could revolutionize efforts to restore local coral reefs.

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Dive into urban corals with AOML’s newest VR experience

AOML Communications — Tue, 13 May 2025 16:49:32 +0000

For the past three years, scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Science have been uncovering the secrets behind the extraordinary resilience of corals in PortMiami. Now, you can dive into their groundbreaking research like never before with a new virtual reality experience, Unlocking the […]

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New study demonstrates the impacts of multiple stressors on reef-building corals

Chris Malanuk — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:53:01 +0000

In a new study, scientists at AOML and the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (CIMAS) demonstrated how some genotypes of the reef-building coral Acropora cervicornis (Staghorn Coral), listed on the Endangered Species Act, proved resilient when exposed to high nutrient levels or disease, but not when the two stressors were […]

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

AOML Communications — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 14:18:41 +0000

Coral scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and University of Miami Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Science (CIMAS) developed a new modeling approach, for evaluating coral reef persistence under climate change scenarios. Aiming to improve coral restoration efforts, this new user-friendly framework has been created as a helpful tool for coral reef scientists and managers to address the increasing vulnerability of these vital ecosystems.

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New Experimental Tool Has the Potential to Improve Restoration Efforts for Coral Reefs

AOML Communications — Mon, 17 May 2021 17:55:01 +0000

To help improve the long term survival of nursery raised staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), Ruben van Hooidonk, a coral scientist with NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies has developed a new experimental mapping tool i that ranks suitable outplant locations. There are currently at least seven coral nurseries in Florida that cultivate staghorn coral, representing one of the best opportunities to maintain resilient populations of this species.

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NOAA and U.S. Army Corps Test A.I. Tool for Monitoring Water Quality in Port Everglades

AOML Communications — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 17:58:17 +0000

The U.S Army Corps in partnership with NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, and NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center are testing a new ecological forecasting tool known as the ‘Environmental Information Synthesizer for Expert Systems’ (EISES). This new tool is being tested for the first time in a maintenance dredging project in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida in a multi-agency collaborative effort to help capture water quality effects which may be associated with dredging operations.

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Two Bacteria Types Linked With Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Hint At How This Deadly Disease Might Spread

AOML Communications — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 16:49:14 +0000

New research on stony coral tissue loss disease reveals similar “bacterial signatures” among sick corals and nearby water and sediments for the first time. Results hint at how this deadly disease might spread, and which bacteria are associated with it, on Florida’s Coral Reef.

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Location, Location, Location: How Habitat and Microbiomes May Contribute to Coral Outplant Success

AOML Communications — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 14:08:33 +0000

A new study by coral researchers from the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory suggests that the physical oceanographic habitat characteristics-such as, temperature, light availability, and water flow, of corals, may influence microbe communities and health of coral reefs. The results showed a link between physical habitat and coral microbiology in coral reefs in southeast Florida.

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