Latest news with #coralreefs
Sustainability Times
3 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'This Is Deliberate Destruction': Hawai'i's Reefs Hit by Record Acid Surge as Locals Accuse Authorities of Sacrificing Ocean Life
IN A NUTSHELL 🌊 Ocean acidification near Hawai'i could reach levels not seen in thousands of years, threatening marine life. near Hawai'i could reach levels not seen in thousands of years, threatening marine life. 🔬 Researchers use high-resolution models to predict significant changes in ocean chemistry through the 21st century. through the 21st century. 🐠 The study highlights the potential for coral adaptation , but warns of unprecedented challenges to reef ecosystems. , but warns of unprecedented challenges to reef ecosystems. 🧪 Ongoing research aims to explore impacts on Hawai'i's fisheries and identify strategies for sustaining coral reefs. The oceans surrounding Hawai'i, known for their vibrant coral reefs, are facing an alarming threat from ocean acidification, a phenomenon exacerbated by increasing carbon dioxide levels. Recent studies reveal that these waters could soon reach acidity levels not seen in thousands of years, posing a severe risk to marine ecosystems. This development is particularly concerning for the Hawaiian Islands, where coral reefs play a crucial role in biodiversity and the local economy. As researchers continue to study these changes, there is an urgent need for action to protect these precious marine environments. Ocean Acidification: A Growing Threat to Hawaiian Waters The increasing acidity of the world's oceans presents a significant risk to marine life, particularly coral reefs. As oceans absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, their pH levels decrease, leading to a more acidic environment. A recent study conducted by oceanographers from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa indicates that acidification levels near the main Hawaiian Islands could reach unprecedented levels within the next three decades. This rise in acidity is particularly detrimental to marine ecosystems, as it weakens the shells and skeletons of sea creatures like corals and clams, making them more susceptible to other environmental stressors. Despite these challenges, there is hope. Some marine species have shown signs of adaptation to the changing conditions, offering a glimmer of optimism for the future. The research highlights the importance of understanding these changes and developing strategies to protect Hawaiian coral reefs and sustain marine ecosystems. By providing critical insights, the study aids scientists, conservationists, and policymakers in their efforts to safeguard these vital habitats for future generations. 'They Stole Our UFO and Made It Scarier': Pentagon Officials Furious as China Unveils Alien-Looking Surveillance Drone Copy Modeling the Future: Predicting Acidification Around Hawai'i Advanced modeling techniques have been employed by researchers to predict future ocean acidification near the Hawaiian Islands. Led by Brian Powell from the University of Hawai'i, the research team utilized high-resolution computer models to project changes in ocean chemistry through the 21st century. Their projections are based on various climate scenarios that reflect different levels of carbon dioxide emissions, offering a comprehensive view of potential outcomes. According to Lucia Hošeková, the lead author of the study, significant increases in ocean acidification are expected in the surface waters around the main Hawaiian Islands, even if carbon emissions stabilize by mid-century. The extent of these changes varies depending on the emission scenario, with high-emission scenarios posing the greatest threat to coral adaptation. The concept of 'novelty' was introduced to describe the difference between projected acidification and historical conditions, revealing that windward coastlines are likely to experience the most dramatic changes. 'They're Hiding Something Under the Ice': Scientists Clash After Bizarre Radio Signals Emerge from Deep Beneath Antarctica Unexpected Changes: Shifts in Coral Environments The study's findings regarding future levels of ocean acidification were unexpected, as they highlight conditions far beyond the natural variations that coral ecosystems are accustomed to. Tobias Friedrich, a co-author of the study, emphasized the unprecedented nature of these projections for Hawaiian waters. While corals have shown some ability to acclimatize to slightly elevated acidity, the magnitude of projected changes poses significant challenges to their adaptability. Researchers acknowledge that the impact on corals will depend on the global climate scenario that unfolds. In the best-case scenario, corals may still be affected, but the situation could be manageable. This underscores the need for ongoing research to examine the combined effects of various stressors on corals. The study serves as an initial step in understanding the complex changes affecting corals and other marine organisms, with a focus on how these changes vary across the Hawaiian Islands. 'This Jet Will Shatter Laws of Physics and Privacy': X-59 Sparks Outrage as NASA Pushes Supersonic Silence into Civilian Skies Looking Ahead: Future Research and Resilience The research team is committed to further investigating the future changes in Hawaiian waters, specifically focusing on heat stress, potential refugia for coral reefs, and the impacts on Hawai'i's fisheries. By continuing to explore these areas, scientists aim to develop strategies that promote resilience and long-term sustainability for coral ecosystems. Reference: 'Patterns of Ocean Acidification Emergence in the Hawaiian Islands Using Dynamically Downscaled Projections' by L. Hošeková, T. Friedrich, B. S. Powell, and C. Sabine, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. DOI: 10.1029/2024JC021903. The future of Hawai'i's coral reefs hinges on our ability to mitigate the impacts of ocean acidification and climate change. As researchers delve deeper into understanding these environmental challenges, the question remains: what innovative solutions will emerge to protect these invaluable ecosystems for generations to come? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (21)
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Science
- News.com.au
‘Entire reef' under threat by pest on Cook Islands
Divers clutch wooden spears as they plunge beneath the waves, hunting hordes of hungry starfish destroying the coral reefs around the Cook Islands. These makeshift tools are their best weapons in the war against crown-of-thorns starfish, a coral-munching species eating through tropical reefs already weakened by climate change. The Cook Islands, a South Pacific nation of about 17,000 people, is in the grips of a years-long outbreak, says marine biologist Teina Rongo. 'It can completely kill off the entire reef, right around the island,' said Rongo, who organises volunteers protecting the reefs fringing the isle of Rarotonga. 'I think there seems to be a Pacific-wide outbreak at the moment, because we're hearing other countries are facing similar challenges.' A single crown-of-thorns adult can eat more than 10 square metres (110 square feet) of reef each year, squeezing its stomach through its mouth to coat coral in digestive juices. They pose a major threat to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where scientists have developed robots that hunt down the prickly invertebrates and inject them with poison. 'At the moment, you basically kill them by injection,' said researcher Sven Uthicke, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. 'It could be vinegar, it could be lime juice or ox bile. 'Others are building chemical attraction traps. It's all very promising – but it's in the development stage.' Rongo finds it quickest to pry the feasting starfish loose using a wooden stick cut from the dense timber of the Pacific Ironwood tree. 'Basically, we use a stick with a hook at the end,' he said. 'We've made some modifications over time because we were getting pricked by these starfish. 'It's painful.' Named for their hundreds of venomous spikes, crown-of-thorns starfish have as many as 21 fleshy arms and can grow larger than a car tyre. They are typically found in such low numbers that they are not considered a problem, but sporadically populations explode in a feeding frenzy that rapidly strips the life from reefs. They spawn in 'plague proportions', according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and are a major driver of coral loss. From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean, crown-of-thorns outbreaks appear to be becoming both more frequent and more severe. 'Some argue that the crown-of-thorns has become chronic in the last few decades,' said Rongo, talking about the reefs of the South Pacific. Scientists suspect these outbreaks are triggered by a mix of factors, including nutrients leached into the sea from agriculture and fluctuations in natural predators. But the damage they can cause is getting worse as reefs are weakened by climate change-fuelled coral bleaching and ocean acidification. 'This is why it's important for us to help the reef,' says Rongo. Scuba divers scour the Cook Islands' reefs for hard-to-spot starfish wedged into dimly lit crevices. Once peeled off the coral, the starfish are pierced with a thick rope so they can be dragged back up to a waiting boat. The day's haul is dumped into a plastic chest before the starfish are lugged ashore to be counted, measured and mulched for garden fertiliser. They are known as 'taramea' in Cook Islands Maori, which loosely translates to 'spiky thing'. The volunteer divers working with Rongo and his environmental group Korero O Te Orau – or Knowledge of the Land, Sky and Sea – remove thousands of starfish every year. Rongo is spurred by the devastation from the nation's last major infestation in the 1990s. 'I was part of that eradication effort. 'We were too late when we did decide to do something about it. It went on and ended up killing the reef.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Cook Islands wages war on 'plague' of hungry starfish
Divers clutch wooden spears as they plunge beneath the waves, hunting hordes of hungry starfish destroying the coral reefs around the Cook Islands. These makeshift tools are their best weapons in the war against crown-of-thorns starfish, a coral-munching species eating through tropical reefs already weakened by climate change. The Cook Islands, a South Pacific nation of about 17,000 people, is in the grips of a years-long outbreak, says marine biologist Teina Rongo. "It can completely kill off the entire reef, right around the island," said Rongo, who organises volunteers protecting the reefs fringing the isle of Rarotonga. "I think there seems to be a Pacific-wide outbreak at the moment, because we're hearing other countries are facing similar challenges." A single crown-of-thorns adult can eat more than 10 square metres (110 square feet) of reef each year, squeezing its stomach through its mouth to coat coral in digestive juices. They pose a major threat to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where scientists have developed robots that hunt down the prickly invertebrates and inject them with poison. "At the moment, you basically kill them by injection," said researcher Sven Uthicke, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. "It could be vinegar, it could be lime juice or ox bile. "Others are building chemical attraction traps. It's all very promising -- but it's in the development stage." Rongo finds it quickest to pry the feasting starfish loose using a wooden stick cut from the dense timber of the Pacific Ironwood tree. "Basically, we use a stick with a hook at the end," he said. "We've made some modifications over time because we were getting pricked by these starfish. It's painful." Named for their hundreds of venomous spikes, crown-of-thorns starfish have as many as 21 fleshy arms and can grow larger than a car tyre. They are typically found in such low numbers that they are not considered a problem. But sporadically populations explode in a feeding frenzy that rapidly strips the life from reefs. - 'Plague proportions ' - They spawn in "plague proportions", according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and are a major driver of coral loss. From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean, crown-of-thorns outbreaks appear to be becoming both more frequent and more severe. "Some argue that the crown-of-thorns has become chronic in the last few decades," said Rongo, talking about the reefs of the South Pacific. Scientists suspect these outbreaks are triggered by a mix of factors, including nutrients leached into the sea from agriculture and fluctuations in natural predators. But the damage they can cause is getting worse as reefs are weakened by climate change-fuelled coral bleaching and ocean acidification. "This is why it's important for us to help the reef," says Rongo. Scuba divers scour the Cook Islands' reefs for hard-to-spot starfish wedged into dimly lit crevices. Once peeled off the coral, the starfish are pierced with a thick rope so they can be dragged back up to a waiting boat. The day's haul is dumped into a plastic chest before the starfish are lugged ashore to be counted, measured and mulched for garden fertiliser. They are known as "taramea" in Cook Islands Maori, which loosely translates to "spiky thing". The volunteer divers working with Rongo and his environmental group Korero O Te Orau -- or Knowledge of the Land, Sky and Sea -- remove thousands of starfish every year. Rongo is spurred by the devastation from the nation's last major infestation in the 1990s. "I was part of that eradication effort. "We were too late when we did decide to do something about it. It went on and ended up killing the reef." sft/lb/tym
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Science
- News.com.au
Cook Islands wages war on 'plague' of hungry starfish
Divers clutch wooden spears as they plunge beneath the waves, hunting hordes of hungry starfish destroying the coral reefs around the Cook Islands. These makeshift tools are their best weapons in the war against crown-of-thorns starfish, a coral-munching species eating through tropical reefs already weakened by climate change. The Cook Islands, a South Pacific nation of about 17,000 people, is in the grips of a years-long outbreak, says marine biologist Teina Rongo. "It can completely kill off the entire reef, right around the island," said Rongo, who organises volunteers protecting the reefs fringing the isle of Rarotonga. "I think there seems to be a Pacific-wide outbreak at the moment, because we're hearing other countries are facing similar challenges." A single crown-of-thorns adult can eat more than 10 square metres (110 square feet) of reef each year, squeezing its stomach through its mouth to coat coral in digestive juices. They pose a major threat to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where scientists have developed robots that hunt down the prickly invertebrates and inject them with poison. "At the moment, you basically kill them by injection," said researcher Sven Uthicke, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. "It could be vinegar, it could be lime juice or ox bile. "Others are building chemical attraction traps. It's all very promising -- but it's in the development stage." Rongo finds it quickest to pry the feasting starfish loose using a wooden stick cut from the dense timber of the Pacific Ironwood tree. "Basically, we use a stick with a hook at the end," he said. "We've made some modifications over time because we were getting pricked by these starfish. It's painful." Named for their hundreds of venomous spikes, crown-of-thorns starfish have as many as 21 fleshy arms and can grow larger than a car tyre. They are typically found in such low numbers that they are not considered a problem. But sporadically populations explode in a feeding frenzy that rapidly strips the life from reefs. - 'Plague proportions ' - They spawn in "plague proportions", according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and are a major driver of coral loss. From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean, crown-of-thorns outbreaks appear to be becoming both more frequent and more severe. "Some argue that the crown-of-thorns has become chronic in the last few decades," said Rongo, talking about the reefs of the South Pacific. Scientists suspect these outbreaks are triggered by a mix of factors, including nutrients leached into the sea from agriculture and fluctuations in natural predators. But the damage they can cause is getting worse as reefs are weakened by climate change-fuelled coral bleaching and ocean acidification. "This is why it's important for us to help the reef," says Rongo. Scuba divers scour the Cook Islands' reefs for hard-to-spot starfish wedged into dimly lit crevices. Once peeled off the coral, the starfish are pierced with a thick rope so they can be dragged back up to a waiting boat. The day's haul is dumped into a plastic chest before the starfish are lugged ashore to be counted, measured and mulched for garden fertiliser. They are known as "taramea" in Cook Islands Maori, which loosely translates to "spiky thing". The volunteer divers working with Rongo and his environmental group Korero O Te Orau -- or Knowledge of the Land, Sky and Sea -- remove thousands of starfish every year. Rongo is spurred by the devastation from the nation's last major infestation in the 1990s. "I was part of that eradication effort.
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Philippines weighs legal action against China over US$194,000 coral reef damage
The Philippines has publicly accused a Chinese vessel of causing more than 11 million pesos (US$194,000) in damage to protected coral reefs near Thitu Island in the South China Sea On Monday, Manila released the results of an environmental survey showing that a Chinese ship had ran aground near Thitu Island in June Investigators found that the vessel dragged a parachute anchor across the sensitive marine ecosystem, scarring at least 464 square metres (4,994 square feet) of reef less than 3km from Thitu – one of the Philippines' main outposts in the disputed waters, known locally as Pag-asa Island. The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea presented the findings, which were based on dives conducted by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Western Philippines and the Philippine coastguard. The vessel, identified by hull number 16838, was stranded on June 7 for nearly three hours before freeing itself and being escorted away by the China Coast Guard and two other Chinese ships, the report found. Before departing, the ship reportedly left behind the parachute anchor, which dragged across some 30 per cent of the reef area and was later found resting atop 307 square metres of coral, blocking sunlight and further threatening marine life, according to representatives of the council.
