corals - NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

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

Chris Malanuk — Thu, 29 May 2025 21:00:33 +0000

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

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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Scientists at AOML monitor the impacts of ocean acidification on reefs with new series of buoys

Chris Malanuk — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 18:36:51 +0000

Diver’s drop over the gunnel. Tanks, weights, divers, and a mesh bag full of tools all descend in emerald waters beneath grey skies. Off the vessel’s bow, a yellow beacon blinks with a red flashing light and a thin data cable stretching to the seafloor, all connected to a suite of sensors twenty feet below […]

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Coral Restoration: Using ‘Omics to Strategize and Manage Restoration Efforts

Chris Malanuk — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:42:19 +0000

A new study by scientists at the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (CIMAS) provides new insights for effective restoration of the crucial reef-building coral species Acropora palmata, or Elkhorn coral. Applying ‘Omics techniques to investigate how habitat and coral microbiomes influence ongoing restoration efforts, this […]

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AOML Take Action Photography Competition

AOML Communications — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:29:38 +0000

Whether flying through hurricanes, diving in urban ports to study coral spawning, or sampling deep ocean currents on oceanographic cruises, summer at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is filled with scientific activity. To highlight the broad and impactful research conducted at the lab and the passionate scientists driving that work, AOML launched its […]

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BEAMS of Cheeca: shedding light on the resilience of a Florida Keys inshore patch reef

AOML Communications — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:52:45 +0000

The waves lap at the bow of the RV Cable while glimmers of Cheeca Rocks, a bustling inshore patch reef, ebb and flow into focus below the surface. For eleven consecutive weeks, the Coral Program at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) laid anchor at this long-term monitoring site to deploy and maintain Benthic […]

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Join a research mission from home: Unveiling AOML’s virtual reality experience

AOML Communications — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:48:51 +0000

VR technology represents a new frontier in science communication, and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is using it to invite everyone on a research mission alongside their scientists. This virtual reality research experience is a project for Masters student Devon Ledbetter, who works as a science communication intern at AOML. Devon’s project aims […]

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Investigating the impacts of climate change on reef-building corals using robotic arms

AOML Communications — Wed, 08 May 2024 21:12:53 +0000

Blue lights fill the room. The faint smell of salt emanates throughout the space as wires and tubes intricately suspended over robotic arms move along custom-built tracks over four rows of tanks filled with seawater - and fragments of critically-endangered corals. In the Experimental Reef Lab, scientists at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) are investigating how crucial reef-building coral species are affected by the impacts of climate change using a suite of open-source robotic arms designed and built at AOML.

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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 America, 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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