A new study led by researchers at Lancaster University has found that the presence of seabirds on islands adjacent to tropical coral reefs can boost coral growth rates on those reefs by more than double. In addition, coral reefs near seabird colonies can bounce back much quicker from bleaching events, which often cause mass die-off of corals when seas become tooRead More

There are roughly 1,200 species of sea cucumbers and now a team of researchers from Nagoya University in Japan have found that 10 of these are bioluminescent in their natural habitats. The findings are part of a new textbook called The World of Sea Cucumber published on November 10. Found in every ocean on Earth, but best represented in the westernRead More

Just announced in the journal Zootaxa, a new species of coral in the waters of French Polynesia has been described and named by scientists from the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University. Pocillopora tuahiniensis was described by Postdoctoral researcher Erika Johnston and Scott Burgess, associate professor of Biological Science, after they studied the coral’sRead More

In findings published in the journal Science Advances, engineers at the University of Colorado have shown that the same physical process that helps remove dirt from laundry could play a role in how tropical marine fishes get their colourful stripes and spots. In 1952, before biologists discovered the double helix structure of DNA, Alan Turing, the mathematician whoRead More

Examining underwater cliff ecosystems within the Galápagos Islands Marine Reserve using the 4,500 meter robot, ROV SuBastian, a team of scientists have discovered two pristine coral reefs. These newly identified cold-water reefs are situated at depths ranging from 370 to 420 metres. Conducted from the Research Vessel Falkor (too), the 30-day expedition began on 18Read More

With only one slightly blurred image available so far, I jumped at the chance of taking a few detailed images of this fascinating fish today as it goes on offer to hobbyists at UltraMarine stockist, Finest Aquatics. Already labelled as a “one of a kind” fish by ReefBuilders, there’s no denying that this specimen hasRead More

Researchers are celebrating the discovery of a new species of coral reef fish in the southern waters of the Great Barrier Reef. Named the Lady Elliot Shrimp Goby, the previously unknown fish was found as part of a University of the Sunshine Coast-led project that is mapping the changing biodiversity on and around Lady ElliotRead More

In a ground-breaking study published in late September, scientists have mapped the reproductive strategies and life cycle of an endangered coral species, offering hope it can be saved from extinction. Endemic to south-eastern Australia, the purple cauliflower soft coral Dendronephthya australis has experienced heavy losses over the past three years, having been decimated by shifts inRead More