Around since the Jurassic age of dinosaurs and deep sea cephalopods, it’s the only underwater flowering plant on the planet, and is often referred to as the “lungs of the sea” (much like how the Amazon Rainforest is called the “lungs of the earth”). Just one square metre of seagrass...
One of the many casualties of climate change is the earth's coral reefs. In the span of ten years, we lost 14% of the coral worldwide due to rising sea surface temperatures. To put that in perspective, 14% of the world's coral is more than all of Australia's coral combined. Here...
Whales are one of the world’s largest marine mammals, and despite the fact that these graceful, gentle giants inhabit the sea, we lucky humans can get a front row seat to their annual migration along Australia’s coast. You just have to know where to look..
Instantly recognised for having long, bulbous heads like rastacaps and a canopy of colourful, sucker lined legs, they are almost cartoonish in their physical form. However, when it comes to their intellectual and emotional capabilities, they are even more unbelievable...
You’ve probably heard the term “coral bleaching” thrown around a lot in the news and scientific circles in recent years. However, you may not know exactly what it means, the consequences of it and if it can be fixed...
Did you know that leatherback sea turtles have existed without change since the age of the dinosaurs? These extraordinary creatures are one species of turtle that has experienced very little evolution for millions of years! These turtles, and many others, are vital pieces of the marine ecosystem. They're also vulnerable to...
What can make a living structure so valuable that over $200 million dollars are spent (per year!) caring for and protecting it? What if that structure is a vast ecosystem, supporting life for over 2,000 different species? That ecosystem, known as the Great Barrier Reef, is a 130,000-mile natural...
Coral colony fluorescing under UV-light in the Philippines. (Photo credits: pictureboss.com) We humans have lost our natural barriers against harmful UV-rays...Fur, dust and mud use to be our sun-screens. Today, our skin's health depends on the use of protective clothing and creams. Corals on the other hand, had to come up...
In my lifetime, our planet has lost about half its coral reefs. From dynamite fishing to coastal pollution, predator invasions and lethal marine heat waves...these ecosystems are retreating everywhere after thriving for millions of years. Today, we know that the chemicals in our sunscreens are an additional source of...
This time last year in the Seychelles, the lethal heat wave associated to the 2015/6 El Niño was weakening after several months of deadly impacts on the reefs. P4O was in the field, monitoring coral-bleaching impacts on a restored reef engineered by the NGO Nature Seychelles. Juvenile damselfish taking shelter in a bleached...
