News
Autonomous underwater robot discovers hidden coral reef “hotspots”
New underwater robot combines audio and visual data to identify areas of high biological activity, opening new possibilities in coral reef conservation by autonomously identifying, mapping biodiversity “hotspots” at sub-meter scales, even in unexplored reef environments. Read more>
Read MoreSeawater microbes offer new, non-invasive way to detect coral disease
Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in collaboration with the University of the Virgin Islands have discovered that microorganisms in seawater surrounding corals provide a powerful indicator of coral disease, potentially transforming how reef health is monitored worldwide. Read more >
Read MoreMicrobial monitoring in reef waters offers accessible tool for ecosystem management
Corals everywhere on the planet live in harmony with microscopic organisms. In a new paper, researchers detail just how valuable microbial communities are for coral reef monitoring and conservation. Read more >
Read MorePBS Nova Building Stuff: Change It!
The Reef Solutions team and their work in USVI took center stage in a recent episode of the PBS Nova series “Building Stuff.” Learn more about how we’re working to turn back the tide on reef declines with some unique and powerful tools. Watch now
Read MoreWHOI and the University of the Virgin Islands extend Partnership
WHOI and the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) extending their working partnership in the exploration, study, and protection of the world’s oceans. READ MORE
Read MoreNew study from Woods Hole scientists suggests sound could help restore coral reefs (WCAI)
Purring fish and snapping shrimp. Croaks and pulses from a chorus of fish. Those are some of the noises that make up the soundscape of a healthy coral reef. Local scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been studying if these sounds could be a tool to help restore damaged reefs. Read more
Read MoreThere’s a difference between the sound of a healthy coral reef and a degraded reef (NPR)
Scientists working off the U.S. Virgin Islands found that the sounds of a healthy coral reef, played on underwater speakers, could encourage a degraded reef to regenerate. Listen now
Read MoreSoundtracks for coral babies may help save reefs (REUTERS)
As the world faces yet another mass coral bleaching this year, some scientists may have found a way to help degrading reefs by playing music to the ears of coral larvae. Watch now
Read MorePlaying thriving reef sounds on underwater speakers ‘could save damaged corals’ (Guardian)
Scientists working off the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean found that coral larvae were up to seven times more likely to settle at a struggling reef where they played recordings of the snaps, groans, grunts and scratches that form the symphony of a healthy ecosystem. Read more
Read MoreScientists are using underwater speakers to help restore degraded coral reefs: Study (ABC)
Researchers have discovered a new method that could encourage the restoration of degraded coral reef populations, which have been declining around the world due to record-high marine temperatures. The sounds of a healthy reef could be used to encourage coral larvae to recolonize damaged or degraded reefs, according to a study published in the journal Royal…
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