Tag: corals

MISSION: ICONIC REEFS EDNA SAMPLING

Employing ‘Omics techniques to examine crucial restoration efforts across the Mission: Iconic Reefs

Scientists at AOML and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) are employing advanced ‘Omics techniques to holistically examine the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to restore coral reefs throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) under the ambitious Mission: Iconic Reefs initiative.  The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary consists of 350 miles […]

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A silohuetted researcher stands in front of an aquarium and robotic arm in a dark room dimly lit by blue lights.

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

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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Taylor Gill performing a photomosaic on Cheeca Rocks in the SUMMER

Scientists at AOML employ photogrammetry to monitor coral reef infrastructure at unprecedented scale

In a new study, scientists at AOML and the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) demonstrate how photogrammetry-based techniques enable their team to monitor the persistence and structural complexity of coral reef habitats at an unprecedented scale.  Led by John Morris, Ph.D., a CIMAS Postdoctoral Associate with AOML’s Coral Program, […]

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Michael Studivan, Ph.D. collecting a coral core on a reef with dive equipment on

AOML leads National Coral Reef Monitoring Program operations throughout the Atlantic 

The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) led by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program is the largest monitoring effort globally to support the conservation of reefs. Scientists with NOAA’s AOML Coral Program and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) lead the monitoring efforts in the Gulf of America, Caribbean and the Atlantic […]

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A CIMAS and NOAA researcher manipulates corals in a large a cement tank outside full of corals

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

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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Students in AOML's FY25 intern cohort stand before the AOML sign.

AOML’s 2025 intern cohort gains first-hand research experience

In celebration of National Intern Day, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is proud to recognize its FY 2025 class of interns. Ranging from high school to graduate students, these talented individuals are gaining hands-on experience across a wide array of research areas—including coral reefs, microbial ecology, hurricanes, ocean acidification, physical oceanography, science communication, […]

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New study indicates Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease may be inhibited by warmer waters 

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is the deadliest known coral disease to species with a hard skeleton (i.e., Scleractinians), causing rapidly-expanding, bare lesions to form across a coral’s skeleton until there is no more living tissue.  The pathogen or microbes leading to the spread of this disease have yet to be identified. Yet scientists […]

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A new model predicts dynamic seawater chemistry on Florida’s coral reefs 

Water masses move over reefs, seagrass beds, and sandbanks – and as they do, the seawater chemistry changes.  In the Florida Keys, changes in coral reef carbonate chemistry are driven by benthic metabolism, the origin of the water mass, and the connectivity of habitats. A new study from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) […]

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Dive into urban corals with AOML’s newest VR experience

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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Ana Palacio and Stephanie analyze coral fragments in a white tank with seawater in the Experimental Reef Lab with blue tee shirts and with blue lights on the coral fragments

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

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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