BHP and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have jointly committed AU$27 million to launch the Australian Coral Reef Resilience initiative (ACRRI)
Most marine protected areas only protect shallow reefs, which means that hidden species at mesophotic depths are being overlooked by current conservation strategies.
NOAA-funded researchers have identified a new record size coral colony at Ta’u Island in American Samoa, even larger than the island’s Big Momma colony, one of the largest in the world.
Cyanobacterial mats have posed a huge problem for coral reef health. Previously, the bacteria covered about 1% of reefs, but that has grown to 20 to 30% in some places.
More than $1 million in NOAA funding will support research, development, capacity-building, and restoration for the innovative Mission: Iconic Reefs effort.