Did You Know?

For years we’ve been providing materials and resources positioning sponges as the first animal. But, many scientists haven’t completely accepted sponges’ placement on the tree of animal life. There are two camps; one for sponges and one for ctenophores (comb jellies). Now, through genetic research, there is strong evidence that comb jellies ARE the first animal.

The bleaching of these colorful cnidarians is due to the loss of symbiotic algae because of climate change.

In the Eastern Pacific off of Panama there’s a different alga that lives symbiotically with some corals, and this species is more heat tolerant.

GOOD NEWS! Scientists discovered a new coral reef that’s in pristine condition.The reef, off Tahiti, appears to be untouched by climate change. The reef sprawls approximately two miles and 30 meters (about 100 feet) to 65 meters in depth.

Just like us, coral reefs have microbiomes that keep them healthy. Researchers, like our Featured Scientist, Colin Howe, study the microbiomes of coral reefs. They aim to identify microbes on specific reefs where they can discover how corals’ microbes help them become more resilient in the face of human-caused climate change and pollution.

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia has lost  half of its coral in the last 25 years. Along its entire length (1,429 miles over an area of approximately 133,000 square miles) coral bleaching has destroyed the reef.