'Everyone talks about climate change' Luis Melky Here-Huno — or Melky as he is known around here — is East Timor's first qualified diving instructor. The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste is one of the world's youngest nations, gaining its independence and officially changing its name in 2002, after a brutal war with Indonesia. From its inception, the tiny nation has sought to project itself as an eco-tourism alternative to Indonesia's island of Bali, 2,000 kilometres west. But as Timor-Leste reopens to the world post-COVID a key challenge remains: how can its pristine natural environment be maintained while building sustainable livelihoods for...
An international study comparing data from Heron Reef and the Middle East's Gulf of Aqaba has disproved the long-held theory that coral reefs only have the capacity to emit CO2.
The first-of-its-kind discovery is the result of an international study led by The University of Queensland which found that dust blown in from nearby deserts can convertcoral reefsinto CO2sinks.
There are currently several 3D-printed reefs installed in the Gulf of Eilat, and the researchers believe that the results will help them apply the innovation to other reef ecosystems around the world.
The break-up of the symbiosis, known as bleaching, which occurs when seawater warms, is the reason coral reefs are the first ecosystem-scale casualties of climate change. Half the world’s coral reefs have died, largely from bleaching, and by some predictions that number will rise to 99 percent by mid-century. Yet the nature of the relationship between coral and algae remains in many ways a mystery.
Coral reefs worldwide are struggling to survive amid growing environmental pressures. Developing medicines gives scientists tools to save sick corals and can help preserve threatened ecosystems.
