Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems. They teem with life, with about one-quarter of all ocean species depending on reefs for food and shelter at some point in their lifecycle.

The bamboo coral _Isidella_ displaying bioluminescence in the Caribbean in 2009. Sönke Johnsen, CC BY-ND Our research focuses on octocorals – soft-bodied corals such as sea fans that have treelike ...

Coral reefs are both beautiful and utterly vital to the ocean ecosystem and the local environment. They provide homes, food and breeding sites for millions of marine plants and animals, including the ...

In a race against time, scientists are exploring new ways to restore natural systems. Alongside traditional methods such as planting trees, reducing pollution and reintroducing native species, a ...

Most animals move through their habitats focused on survival rather than construction. They eat, dig, travel, and reproduce ...

A new study led by the University of Southampton in the UK has revealed why coral reefs can thrive in seemingly nutrient poor water, a phenomenon that has fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin.

Kim Stone, director of fish and invertebrates at the Georgia Aquarium, holds a colony of confiscated marine corals in a back room of the aquarium, in Atlanta, May 23, 2024. You might imagine that when ...

Some corals produce chemicals called diterpenoids that have shown promise in fighting cancer and reducing inflammation, but researchers have been unable to study the chemicals in depth. The problem is ...

Our planet’s coral reefs, the ‘rainforests of the sea,’ are facing a serious threat, necessitating urgent restoration. With the introduction of drones designed to plant corals on a large scale, we’ve ...

Australia pioneered assisted coral fertilization. It’s expanding in the Caribbean, with leading projects at the National ...

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Written by Danielle DeLeo, postdoctoral associate in biological sciences at FIU. Our research focuses on octocorals ...