New study finds burning by humans and warming altered Andean ecosystems phys.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phys.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A new study led by researchers at Florida Tech recommends multinational networks of protected reefs as the best chance corals have to survive the ever devastating effects of climate change.
E-Mail
Australian researchers recently reported a sharp decline in the abundance of coral along the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists are seeing similar declines in coral colonies throughout the world, including reefs off of Hawaii, the Florida Keys and in the Indo-Pacific region.
The widespread decline is fueled in part by climate-driven heat waves that are warming the world s oceans and leading to what s known as coral bleaching, the breakdown of the mutually beneficial relationship between corals and resident algae.
But other factors are contributing to the decline of coral reefs, as well, including pollution and overfishing.
According to a new study, Local conditions magnify coral loss after marine heatwaves, published in the journal