Coral Content

Hibernating Corals and the Microbiomes That Sustain Them

Katherine E Kerlin — December 01, 2022 - 8:30am

What happens to a coral's microbiome while it hibernates? A 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study found microbial communities shift while a coral sleeps, which may inform coral health and recovery efforts.

Corals Saving Corals

Katherine E Kerlin — November 21, 2022 - 10:00am

Corals resistant to disease can rescue more vulnerable corals, 51�ԹϺ�� Davis found. Raising corals with diverse genotypes builds resilience amid disease and climate changes in reefs.

Student Studies Coral and Creates Art

Karen Michele Nikos — March 13, 2019 - 3:55pm

Student Blends Science and Art to Combat Coral Bleaching

By Greg Watry, College of Biological Sciences

The pale woman stares at you, her hand delicately placed on her cheek. Atop her head a community of corals bleeds its vibrancy. Clouds of gold and red seep into the water, joining other bits of her eroding body. Fish—stripped to their skeletons—float among the drift. The digital painting is haunting, permeated by a sense of disintegration and death. But there’s also beauty.

Large Stretches of Coral Reefs Can Be Rehabilitated

Katherine E Kerlin — September 27, 2018 - 3:52pm

Even after being severely damaged by blast fishing and coral mining, coral reefs can be rehabilitated over large scales using a relatively inexpensive technique, according to a study led by the University of California, Davis, in partnership with Mars Symbioscience.

Can Corals Adapt to Climate Change?

Katherine E Kerlin — November 01, 2017 - 4:05pm

Cool-water corals can adapt to a slightly warmer ocean, but only if global greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. That’s according to a study published Nov. 1 in the journal Science Advances of genetic adaptation and the likely effects of future warming on tabletop corals in the Cook Islands.

Fish Social Lives May Be Key to Saving Coral Reefs

Katherine E Kerlin — April 10, 2017 - 10:54am

Fish provide a critical service for coral reefs by eating algae that can kill coral and dominate reefs if left unchecked. A 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study, which analyzed the social feeding behavior of reef fish, suggests that overfishing not only removes vital algae-eaters, but it may cause remaining fish to eat less.

Reef Fish That Conquer Fear of Sharks May Help Control Excess Algae

Katherine E Kerlin — January 12, 2017 - 1:08pm

Coral reef fish experience “landscapes of fear” depending on where and how much shelter from predators is available, according to a 51�ԹϺ�� Davis study. However, the study found that reef fish are willing to move past that fear. They will stray far from their sheltered coral refuge and risk the possibility of being eaten by sharks and other predators if the pay-off in tasty algae is higher.