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Reef ecosystems
Biological communities formed by the skeletons of calcareous seawater organisms, usually corals.
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Biological resource status and trends: Reef ecosystems [More info]
Information concerning status and trends of biological resources, focusing on reef ecosystems
PDF From ridge to reef--linking erosion and changing watersheds to impacts on the coral reef ecosystems of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean [More info]
Explains how land processes on hills near the shoreline affect the health of coral reefs.
PDF Coral Diseases Following Massive Bleaching in 2005 Cause 60 Percent Decline in Coral Cover and Mortality of the Threatened Species, Acropora Palmata, on Reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands [More info]
Record-high seawater temperatures and calm seas in the summer of 2005 led to the most severe coral bleaching (death) ever observed in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
PDF Effects of Ocean Acidification and Sea-Level Rise on Coral Reefs [More info]
By measuring the current and historical growth rates of coral skeletons, and using field experiments, we intend to find out whether rising atmospheric CO2 and rising sea levels will cause coral reefs to erode and cease to function.
Oculina Bank - geology of a deep-water coral reef habitat off Florida [More info]
Brief report on sidescan sonar data, sediment sampling, and submersible and video photography studies of destruction of deep-water coral pinnacles where fish spawn off east-central Florida in the Oculina Bank in order to restore and protect the habitat.
Protecting the Nation's coral reefs [More info]
Report on problems in preserving coral reef ecosystems with links to information on the interagency U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, press releases, reports, and NOAA coral reef sites.
PDF Science-Based Strategies for Sustaining Coral Ecosystems [More info]
Explains the environmental factors that affect coral reef habitats and ecosystems, focusing on those that pose urgent problems.
PDF St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center coral reef research [More info]
Describes ecological problems facing coral reef ecosystems and the research strategies we use to study the prevalence and severity of those problems.
USGS Pacific coral reefs website [More info]
Overview of research in the Hawaiian Islands and Guam to gain insight into the structure of coral reefs, to provide the basis for future monitoring, and to understand the influences of natural processes and human activities on coral reef health.
PDF Buck Island Reef National Monument Sea Turtle Research Program: Sea turtle nesting research & monitoring protocols manual [More info]
Manual for research program on the nesting habits of sea turtles of the Virgin Islands, with descriptions of species, nesting behavior, observation methods, record keeping, tagging, and tissue sample collection. (PDF file, 121 pp.)
Coral mortality and African dust [More info]
Report with mini-movie and photos on the hypothesis that the atmospheric transport of dust arising from the desertification in northern Africa led to algal infestation of corals, coral diseases, and the near extinction of associated sea urchins.
PDF Corals as climate recorders [More info]
Shows how coral reef specimens are collected, the type of information gained from them, and the methods by which they are measured and studied to understand recent (past few centuries) changes in climate.
Ecosystems of South Florida [More info]
An overview with brief descriptions and photographs of some of South Florida's unique ecosystems.
PDF Phage therapy for Florida corals? [More info]
Explains how some diseases affecting corals might be countered by viruses that infect disease-causing bacteria.
PDF Detailed seafloor habitat mapping to enhance marine-resource management [More info]
We conduct systematic imaging of reef habitats in order to provide regulatory agencies with information they need to decide whether those reefs should be designated as protected areas.
PDF Microbial ecology of deep-water mid-Atlantic canyons [More info]
Plan for an upcoming study, at the microbiological scale, of the benthic communities (including corals) that reside in and around mid-Atlantic canyons, which are located at the edge of the continental shelf.
South Florida Virtual Tour [More info]
A pictorial overview for general audiences of key landscapes and ecosystems in South Florida; includes extensive references and links to past and current research activities relating to the South Florida ecosystem restoration effort.
Southeast Ecological Science Center - poster presentations [More info]
Poster presentations related to Greater Everglades, marine and coral studies, ecotoxicology, manatees, coastal ecology, nonindigenous aquatic species, coastal ecology, freshwater fisheries, and herpetology.
Southeast Ecological Science Center - Welcome to the kid's corner [More info]
Children's website on southern Florida aquatic biology with short movie clips of amphibians, games & puzzles, wildlife pictures, teacher resources, and more.
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center [More info]
Research with a primary focus on coastal and marine environments and societal implications of natural hazards, resource sustainability, and environmental change.
PDF The Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium [More info]
Palmyra Atoll in the tropical Pacific is a "living laboratory" for multi-disciplinary research on coral reef ecosystems, insular terrestrial ecosystems, climate change, and the lingering effects of Cold War nuclear testing.
PDF USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center [More info]
Extreme storms, sea-level rise, and the health of marine communities are some of the major societal and environmental issues studied by this part of USGS.
PDF USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center--Research activities in the U.S. Virgin Islands [More info]
Explains type of information we collect and the problems we study in this area, focusing on coral reef ecosystems, ocean acidification, and sea-level change.
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