Marine scientists in Florida are taking action to address the alarming long-term decline of coral reefs by using a creative underwater doorbell-style surveillance camera to catch “porch pirates” in the act. The recorded footage revealed that three species known for feeding on coral—the redband parrotfish, foureye butterflyfish, and stoplight parrotfish—were responsible for consuming over 97%Read More

Researchers at James Cook University have discovered that toxins from stonefish may offer a new way to combat parasitic worm infections that affect nearly 25% of the global population. The study, led by JCU Ph.D. candidate Danica Lennox-Bulow, has been published in the journal Toxins. She noted that parasitic gastrointestinal worms, known as helminths, poseRead More

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on our planet. Although they cover less than 1% of the ocean’s surface, an astonishing one-quarter of all marine species rely on these reefs at some point in their lives. With such a rich variety of life concentrated in one area, researchers often find it challenging toRead More

Researchers from the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) Toonen-Bowen (ToBo) Lab have made significant strides in marine biology by identifying 10 new species of marine sponge. This exciting discovery was detailed in a series of groundbreaking studies published recently in the journals PeerJ and Zootaxa. Utilising a method that examines both genetic and structuralRead More

A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that small, elusive crabs might be a key factor affecting the populations of coral-eating starfish. While it’s well-known that outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) can severely damage coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific, scientists continue to debate the natural population cycles ofRead More

Research by the Queensland University of Technology has revealed that when it’s time to migrate, the free-living mushroom coral Cycloseris cyclolites defies traditional wisdom by heading directly towards the light. This study, spearheaded by Dr. Brett Lewis from the QUT School of Atmospheric and Earth Sciences and the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, was publishedRead More

Ecologists from the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) and the Swire Institute of Marine Science (SWIMS) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have uncovered serious ecological threats linked to the introduction of hybrid groupers into the coastal waters of Hong Kong, a practice often associated with religious ‘mercy release’ ceremonies.Their research reveals that theRead More

To enhance the survival of rare elkhorn corals in Florida’s waters, researchers from the University of Miami NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science suggest placing these corals in shallow areas with strong currents. This recommendation comes from their study titledRead More

The regal tang Paracanthurus hepatus (also variously known as the blue, hippo, palette surgeonfish or “Dory” from “Finding Nemo”), has been spotted for the first time in the coastal waters of Vietnam. Juvenile specimens of this species were photographed near Acropora sp. coral at a depth of 4.5 metres on the southern slope of HonRead More

New research utilising innovative underwater infrared cameras has revealed that artificial light can disturb sleeping fish and lure in predators, thereby altering the dynamics of nighttime coral reef communities. The findings, published in Global Change Biology, stem from a collaborative effort by an international team of scientists from the UK, France, French Polynesia, and Chile.Read More