A number of studies over the last year or two have suggested that chemicals used in sunscreens and some other cosmetics can have a damaging effect on coral reefs. We have even seen bans on certain chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate in the state of Hawaii. One chemical, octocrylene, [...]
A thriving saltwater aquarium is a dynamic system—the populations of bacteria, algae, and invertebrate life adjust to the conditions you provide and resources available to them for growth. What does it take to have a successful, thriving saltwater aquarium? There are no secrets or [...]
I came across a strange story in my inbox the other day. It chronicled a piece of research that examined how the relationship between a predator and a prey species was disturbed by leachates coming from micro plastics. The research, published by the Royal Society, looks at the [...]
On November 27th we embarked on the first field trip with researchers from NOAA and University of Miami for the next phase of Coral Morphologic’s long-term project to document, study, and conserve Miami’s unusually resilient ‘urban corals’. That is, the corals that have pioneered into [...]
According to a news study from Georgia Tech that examined the microbe rich mucous layers of both clownfish and anemones, the two are swapping microbe flora, which may contribute to the fishes avoiding being stung. The research team studies clownfish and anemones in captivity and monitored [...]
I’ve just come across a press release about new research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, which suggests that rising sea levels may actually benefit low lying coral reef islands, which goes against the prevailing wisdom that island nations such as the Maldives will see [...]
Marine biologists and climate scientists have started using the term ‘blue carbon’ to describe the amount of carbon that is locked up in marine ecosystems. One of the most effective ecosystems for removing carbon (in the form of CO2) from the atmosphere via the oceans is seagrass meadows. [...]
What? Dosing nitrates to get rid of cyano? A common piece of advice when battling Cyanobacteria or cyano is to lower nutrients since cyano can be fueled by high phosphates or nitrates (cyano can also pop up due to elevated organics). So wouldn’t it be counter-intuitive to raise one of these [...]