PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Caribbean wins the seaweed Olympics

2012-06-08
(Press-News.org) A new study finds that Caribbean seaweeds are far better competitors than their equivalents in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. But this triumph is bad news for Caribbean coral reefs.

The picture-postcard beauty of Caribbean reefs owes much to the living corals that build reefs and contribute startling white sand to beaches. Coral reefs might seem to be tranquil environment but in fact a battle is constantly waged between corals and seaweeds that fight over space. Scientists have known for some time that seaweeds can gain the upper hand if corals are damaged by hurricanes or excessively warm sea temperatures that cause coral bleaching. But a new study, published online today, reveals that Caribbean seaweeds are the equivalent of Olympian atheletes compared those found on coral reefs elsewhere.

"Seaweeds bloom four times faster in the Caribbean than the Pacific Ocean", exclaims study author, Dr George Roff, of the University of Queensland. "This helps explain why corals in the Caribbean seem to be such weak competitors against seaweeds".

The study raises concerns about the future of Caribbean coral reefs. If seaweeds bloom faster, corals are less likely to recover once they have been damaged.

Coauthor, Professor Peter Mumby, adds, "Seaweeds are able to bloom when we loosen their controls, either by polluting the sea with fertilizers or catching too many parrotfish, who treat seaweed as a delicacy. We now know that seaweeds will bloom if we give them the slightest chance. This means we should redouble our efforts to control pollution and fishing of parrotfishes".

The study, published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, cannot yet explain why Caribbean seaweeds are so prolific.

"It is intriguing to see such variability in seaweed behaviour around the world", says Dr Roff. "We raise a number of possible explanations that scientists will test over the next few years".

###Photos available: Contact George Roff on g.roff@uq.edu.au

Free video clips to illustrate this article available at Peter Mumby's site: www.reefvid.org

Contacts:

George Roff, g.roff@uq.edu.au (+61 0432 931 051)

Peter Mumby, p.j.mumby@uq.edu.au (+61 0449811589) (away till 19th June)

Citation:

Roff, G. & Mumby, P.J. (2012) Global disparity in the resilience of coral reefs. Trends in Ecology and Evolution (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.04.007)



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

How does dolomite form?

2012-06-08
Not only in the Dolomites, but throughout the world dolomite is quite common. More than 90 percent of dolomite is made up of the mineral dolomite. It was first described scientifically in the 18th century. But who would have thought that the formation of this mineral is still not fully understood, although geologists are aware of large deposits of directly formed (primary) dolomite from the past 600 million years. The process of recent primary dolomite formation is restricted to extreme ecosystems such as bacterial mats in highly saline lakes and lagoons. "As these systems ...

Breaking the limits of classical physics

Breaking the limits of classical physics
2012-06-08
With simple arguments, researchers show that nature is complicated! Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute have made a simple experiment that demonstrates that nature violates common sense – the world is different than most people believe. The experiment illustrates that light does not behave according to the principles of classical physics, but that light has quantum mechanical properties. The new method could be used to study whether other systems behave quantum mechanically. The results have been published in the scientific journal, Physical Review Letters. In physics ...

Financial mania: Why bankers and politicians failed to heed warnings of the credit crisis

2012-06-08
Western economies displayed the same kind of manic behaviour as psychologically disturbed individuals in the run up to the 2008 credit crisis -- and it could happen again, according to a new study. Bankers, economists and politicians shared a "manic culture" of denial, omnipotence and triumphalism as they threw caution to the wind, says Professor Mark Stein, the award-winning academic from the University of Leicester School of Management. Observing - but not heeding - the warning signs from the collapse of the Japanese economy in 1991 and the 1998 crisis in south-east ...

Alzheimer's vaccine trial a success

2012-06-08
A study led by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reports for the first time the positive effects of an active vaccine against Alzheimer's disease. The new vaccine, CAD106, can prove a breakthrough in the search for a cure for this seriously debilitating dementia disease. The study is published in the distinguished scientific journal Lancet Neurology. Alzheimer's disease is a complex neurological dementia disease that is the cause of much human suffering and a great cost to society. According to the World Health Organisation, dementia is the fastest growing global health ...

Photovoltaic cells tap underwater solar energy

Photovoltaic cells tap underwater solar energy
2012-06-08
WASHINGTON -- Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Electronics Science and Technology Division, dive into underwater photovoltaic research to develop high bandgap solar cells capable of producing sufficient power to operate electronic sensor systems at depths of 9 meters. Underwater autonomous systems and sensor platforms are severely limited by the lack of long endurance power sources. To date, these systems must rely on on-shore power, batteries or solar power supplied by an above water platform. Attempts to use photovoltaics have had limited success, ...

Spin structure reveals key to new forms of digital storage, study shows

Spin structure reveals key to new forms of digital storage, study shows
2012-06-08
A synthetic compound long known to exhibit interesting transition properties may hold the key to new, non-magnetic forms of information storage, say researchers at the RIKEN SPring-8 Center and their collaborators. The team's latest findings shed light on the complex relationship between a compound's electron spin arrangement and its transport properties, an area researchers have long struggled to understand. The metal-insulator transition (MIT) is a phenomenon in which certain (electricity-conducting) metals make a sudden transition to become a (non-conducting) insulator ...

Lexington Dentist Offers Mobile Version of His Practice's Website

2012-06-08
Dr. Allen Castle, Lexington dentist, is now offering a mobile version of his practice's comprehensive dental website. The new site is designed specifically to function smoothly on mobile and tablet devices. "Today, more and more people are using their phones to access the Internet. I am happy that our practice has gone along with this trend and made it easy for patients to access our site on their mobile devices. I hope all of our patients will take some time to check out our mobile site," said Dr. Castle, Lexington cosmetic dentist. Within the past few ...

Delaware Dentist Offers New Patient Referral Program

2012-06-08
Dr. John Sexton, Delaware dentist, is excited to offer an incentive for his patients to refer new patients to his practice. For every new patient that gets referred, Dr. Sexton will provide a $25 gift card to a local establishment. "I am always excited about welcoming new patients to our practice. I believe we offer a tremendous level of service here and new patients will decide to stay with us for a long time. I hope this incentive helps us to bring many new patients into our practice," said Dr. Sexton, dentist in Delaware, OH. New patients can find a ...

Data Cabling and Phone Systems Expert Telmart Launches a New Website

2012-06-08
In today's competitive, high tech world, businesses rely on technology to facilitate their daily operations. Communications, storage of information, security functions, and more are all controlled through high-tech networks. It is therefore essential that businesses have their phone systems, voice data networks, and other communications infrastructure installed by a professional, qualified company. Telmart's new website is designed to address these needs. Their website provides information regarding the company's many services, all of which are related to the safety ...

Edmonds Woodway Dental Care Offers Free CAT Scan and Dental Implant Consultation - a $350 Value - on June 22 to Mark Installation of New i-CAT Precise Imaging Machine

2012-06-08
With the installation of a new, state-of-the-art i-CAT Precise imaging machine, Dr. Michael Hrankowski and Edmonds Woodway Dental Care are offering, to the first eight people who call, a free CAT Scan and Dental Implant Consultation, a $350 value, on Friday, June 22. With the installation of a new, state-of-the-art i-CAT Precise imaging machine, Dr. Michael Hrankowski and Edmonds Woodway Dental Care are offering to the first eight people who call a free CAT Scan and Dental Implant Consultation, a $350 value, on Friday, June 22. "It is rare that a general dental ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Music-based therapy may improve depressive symptoms in people with dementia

No evidence that substituting NHS doctors with physician associates is necessarily safe

At-home brain speed tests bridge cognitive data gaps

CRF appoints Josep Rodés-Cabau, M.D., Ph.D., as editor-in-chief of structural heart: the journal of the heart team

Violent crime is indeed a root cause of migration, according to new study

Customized smartphone app shows promise in preventing further cognitive decline among older adults diagnosed with mild impairment

Impact of COVID-19 on education not going away, UM study finds

School of Public Health researchers receive National Academies grant to assess environmental conditions in two Houston neighborhoods

Three Speculum articles recognized with prizes

ACM A.M. Turing Award honors two researchers who led the development of cornerstone AI technology

Incarcerated people are disproportionately impacted by climate change, CU doctors say

ESA 2025 Graduate Student Policy Award Cohort Named

Insomnia, lack of sleep linked to high blood pressure in teens

Heart & stroke risks vary among Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander adults

Levels of select vitamins & minerals in pregnancy may be linked to lower midlife BP risk

Large study of dietary habits suggests more plant oils, less butter could lead to better health

Butter and plant-based oils intake and mortality

20% of butterflies in the U.S. have disappeared since 2000

Bacterial ‘jumping genes’ can target and control chromosome ends

Scientists identify genes that make humans and Labradors more likely to become obese

Early-life gut microbes may protect against diabetes, research in mice suggests

Study raises the possibility of a country without butterflies

Study reveals obesity gene in dogs that is relevant to human obesity studies

A rapid decline in US butterfly populations

Indigenous farming practices have shaped manioc’s genetic diversity for millennia

Controlling electrons in molecules at ultrafast timescales

Tropical forests in the Americas are struggling to keep pace with climate change

Brain mapping unlocks key Alzheimer’s insights

Clinical trial tests novel stem-cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease

Awareness of rocky mountain spotted fever saves lives

[Press-News.org] Caribbean wins the seaweed Olympics