In the news this week . . .

Following on from the last post about the threats posed to Coral Reefs by rising sea surface temperatures, there is some good news from researchers at Southern Cross University's National Marine Science Centre. A team has been investigating coral bleaching at Lord Howe Island, which is located 500km off the coast of New South Wales. Warmer than average sea surface temperatures in 2010 caused mild to severe bleaching events in large areas of the coral reef, but according to Doctor Steve Dalton most sites are now showing signs of recovery. The full story can be viewed here.
 
A research team led by Dr Johnathan Kool of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, has published a paper which reinforces the importance coral reef ecosystems have in maintaining marine biodiversity. The paper, 'Connectivity and the development of population genetic structure in Indo-West Pacific coral reef communities', presents results that suggest the Coral Triangle, which is the richest marine area in the world (located between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines), is highly dependent on coral and fish larvae swept in from the South China Sea and Solomon Islands. Strong connections between these regions are responsible for the high diversity and resilience in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Kool can be heard talking about his research in this region on ABC radio. The original news article can be viewed here.