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coral reef
Trends
- 1Two million tyres dumped to build a reef became an ecological disaster●On a site the size of 27 football fields, 2 million of these were dropped in the ocean to create an artificial reef – instead, it became a disaster
A failed artificial reef project saw around two million tyres dumped across an underwater area the size of 27 football fields, in the hope of attracting marine life. Instead, the tyres shifted in currents, crushed coral and scattered across the seabed, damaging the surrounding ecosystem. The story is being highlighted as a cautionary tale about large-scale ocean interventions gone wrong.
- 2Bacteria on coral reef fish gills carry chemosynthesis genes, DNA study finds●DNA reveals chemosynthesis genes in bacteria living on coral reef fish gills
Scientists have found that bacteria living on the gills of coral reef fish carry genes for chemosynthesis, the process of making food from chemicals rather than sunlight. The discovery, reported by Phys.org, suggests gill-dwelling microbes may play a previously overlooked role in reef nutrient cycles and could reshape how researchers understand symbiosis on coral reefs.