Topic: Reef Ecosystems

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BP to inject $1 billion into Gulf restoration

BP money is expected to pay for restoration projects, which may include building new fishing piers and oyster reefs, or stabilizing bird sanctuaries with rock barriers

Outside Cancún climate conference, Caribbean Sea testifies to global warming

2010 was one of the deadliest years on record for coral reefs. The Caribbean Sea just outside the Cancún climate conference offers evidence of global warming's negative effect.

Soaring temperatures spark mass coral death in Indonesia

Ocean temperatures in the waters off Indonesia have climbed into the 90s, devastating some of the world's most biodiverse coral reefs and threatening the livelihood of locals.

Oil spill cleanup: BP spill's effect on endangered marine species potentially 'mind-boggling'

Oil spill cleanup: The growing BP oil spill threatens a critically endangered sawfish with extinction, as well as many other threatened species.

Killer seaweed poisons vulnerable coral reefs

A certain type of seaweed can kill corals on contact upon contact by releasing deadly chemicals.

Britain names Chagos Islands world's largest marine preserve

The government of Britain named the Chagos Islands – home to the military base of Diego Garcia and some of the Indian Ocean's healthiest coral reefs – the world's largest marine preserve.

Death of coral reefs could devastate nations

As studies predict that vital coral reefs are headed for extinction worldwide, experts say hunger, poverty, and political instability could ensue.

Global warming: Top 10 species most at risk?

A new study released at the Copenhagen climate change summit, outlines a Top 10 "hit list" of nonhuman species most threatened by global warming. The emphasis is on cute and cuddly, including koalas, penguins, and "Nemo."

Economists put a price tag on the benefits of coral reefs

How much are coral reefs worth? Economists put a price tag on their benefits and say they're valuable.

Oyster 'gardening' restores reefs after hurricane

In Texas, neighbors experiment with oyster gardening to help rebuild reefs damaged by Hurricane Ike.

German businessman smuggled coral into US from Philippines

A German businessman pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Oregon to smuggling 40 tons of coral into the US from the Philippines. Coral reefs are threatened globally.

Tourism tangles a fishing lifeline

Loss of sea access hits the Dominican Republic’s already pressed fishermen.

A new map for a breathtaking ocean preserve

The tiny, slimy savior of global coral reefs?

Heat-tolerant algae could help the world's reefs adapt to climate change, researcher says.

Ocean acidification, global warming, and the Great Barrier Reef

The decline in the rate of reef-building along the Great Barrier Reef is severe, sudden, and unprecedented in at least 400 years. Ocean acidification is a leading suspect.

How air imperils the sea

Rising levels of carbon dioxide make oceans more acidic, putting shellfish, corals, and more at risk.