Coral reefs, bastions of marine biodiversity because of the abundant fish, invertebrates, and algae they support, are also home to Earth’s greatest microbial diversity. WorldReefDay
When the researchers extrapolated those findings to estimate the total reef microbial diversity across the Pacific, it was equivalent to Earth’s total, previously estimated microbial diversity. The team members don’t know what leads to the great bacterial diversity, as it didn’t align with the greater diversity found in corals of the western Pacific. Nor did the microbial diversity correlate with seawater temperature.
The researchers have yet to fully analyze these data, but they expect this high microbial diversity can help the reefs be more resilient in the face of heat waves, pollution, turbidity, and other stressors, acting as ecological insurance. Some bacteria on coral provide benefits—such as supplying vitamin B to their hosts—and their diversity suggests that at least some helpful microbes are likely to survive a particular environmental insult and can continue to support the coral.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Coral reefs host millions of bacteria, revealing Earth's hidden biodiversityA new estimate of microbial life living in Pacific reefs is similar to global counts, suggesting many more microbes call Earth home than thought.
Read more »
Watch NASA’s UFO team discuss its findings publicly for the first timeNASA's group that formed around a year ago to study unidentified aerial phenomena is holding its first public meeting ahead of a report expected in the next few weeks
Read more »
NASA to Address UFO Findings at First Public MeetingNASA’s dedicated task force charged with looking into UFO sightings over the United States will meet the public on Wednesday in an exercise that will also see it taking questions.
Read more »
NASA’s UFO team discusses its findings publicly for the first timeNASA's group that formed around a year ago to study unidentified aerial phenomena is holding its first public meeting ahead of a report expected in the next few weeks
Read more »
Watch: NASA team holds 1st public meeting on UFO study ahead of reportThe independent UAP study team is set to publish a report on its findings this summer.
Read more »
NASA team holds 1st public meeting on UFO study ahead of final reportThe independent UAP study team is set to publish a report on its findings this summer.
Read more »