Zooplankton feeding by corals underestimated

Research by marine biologists from Wageningen University has shown that feeding on zooplankton by scleractinian corals has been greatly underestimated.

Octocorals found to be reef builders

Scientists from Taiwan and Israel have found that octocorals are important reef builders. This exciting discovery makes us rethink the very nature of coral reefs.

Flatworms compete with corals for zooplankton

Epizoic coral flatworms have been found to compete with their coral host for zooplankton. This finding is in agreement with the theory that symbiotic coral flatworms are parasitic.

Small polyps do capture zooplankton

Small polyped stony corals are often believed to simply rely on strong lighting and dissolved nutrients. But even these corals capture significant amounts of plankton.

The bottom line - presented by Sigourney Weaver

Written by Tim Wijgerde

This short Greenpeace documentary presented by Sigourney Weaver discusses the disastrous impacts of deep sea trawling. This fishing method is currently employed by many fishing companies, and is wreaking havoc amongst deep coral reefs. These ecosystems are of vital importance to many species of marine fish. Their splendour is unnoticed yet unmistakable. The corals which form the backbone of these ecosystems grow very slowly, which is why the recovery of such reefs may take hundreds of years.

Although the international political community has introduced new laws in 2006 aimed at protecting these marine areas, deep sea fishing continues to destroy the fragile life inhabiting the ocean floor. Watch this compelling video about yet another troubling human acitivity.

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Zooplankton feeding by corals underestimated

Octocorals found to be reef builders

Flatworms compete with corals for zooplankton

Small polyps do capture zooplankton