Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is expected to exceed 500 parts per million and global temperatures to rise by at least 2°C by 2050 to 2100, values that significantly exceed those of at least the past 420,000 years during which most extant marine organisms evolved. Under conditions expected in the 21st century, global warming and ocean acidification will compromise carbonate accretion, with corals becoming increasingly rare on reef systems.

The result will be less diverse reef communities and carbonate reef structures that fail to be maintained.

Three years ago, Southern California Edison pushed basketball-size rocks from a barge off San Clemente. Little did the utility realize that the kelp reef it created would thrive the way it has, or as quickly.

By Tony Barboza

A study by the University of Exeter provides the first evidence that coral reefs can recover from the devastating effects of climate change. Published Jan. 11, 2010 in the journal PLoS ONE, the research shows for the first time that coral reefs located in marine reserves can recover from the impacts of global warming.

Scientists and environmentalists have warned that coral reefs may not be able to recover from the damage caused by climate change and that these unique environments could soon be lost forever. Now, this research adds weight to the argument that reducing levels of fishing is a viable way of protecting the world's most delicate aquatic ecosystems.

By Matthew Cimitile, Amanda Demopoulos, and Christina Kellogg

Above: Some of the team members from the third 2009 DISCOVRE cruise. The science crew contains an interdisciplinary group of researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Kneeling (left to right): Michele Grinar, Andrea Quattrini, Christina Kellogg, Amanda Demopoulos, Furu Mienis, Martha Nizinski, and Kaitlin Kovacs. Standing (left to right): Adela Roa-Varon, Sandra Brooke, Cheryl Morrison, Lorendz Boom, Steve Ross, Jennie McClain, Cheryl Lewis Ames, Tara Casazza, and Mike Rhode. Photograph courtesy of USGS DISCOVRE.

Research cruises exploring the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico are opening up a new world of organisms and ecosystems to scientists as researchers descend into uncharted territory hundreds of meters below the sea surface. Several U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are co-leading a team of researchers from around the United States and Europe seeking to characterize deep-coral ecosystems and the abundance of organisms that live in and around them. Their research is shining a light on some of the darkest and least explored places on the planet.

By Ryan P. Moyer November 2009

Coral reefs are uniquely complex ecosystems in that they are defined by the underlying geologic structures ("reefs") that are constructed primarily by calcifying organisms (mostly coral and algae). Coral-reef habitats are one of the most important ecosystems on Earth. They harbor the highest biodiversity of any known marine ecosystem and provide critical habitat for many fish and invertebrate species that are of global commercial importance. Coral reefs also provide numerous important economic benefits that help sustain a large and ever-growing coastal human population. However, a recent increase in anthropogenic and climatic stresses has resulted in degradation and near collapse of many coral communities worldwide. Recent reports have identified ocean acidification as a potential major stressor to coral reefs and the various calcifying organisms that build them. Improved understanding and information are needed to guide policies and best-management practices effectively in order to preserve and restore coral-reef resources for future generations.

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- The Center for   has formally notified the National Marine Fisheries Service of its intent to sue the agency for its failure to respond to a petition seeking to protect 83 imperiled coral species under the Endangered Species Act. These corals, all of which occur in U.S. waters ranging from Florida and Hawaii to U.S. territories in the Caribbean and Pacific, face a growing threat of extinction due to rising ocean temperatures caused by global warming, and the related threat of ocean acidification. The Endangered Species Act requires that the National Marine Fisheries Service respond to the petition within 90 days, and this initial finding is delinquent.

“Within a few decades, global warming and ocean acidification threaten to completely destroy magnificent coral reefs that took millions of years to build,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Timing is of the essence to reverse the tragic decline of these vitally important reefs, and we can’t afford any delays in protecting corals under the Endangered Species Act.”

There is increased evidence that the Arctic could face seasonally ice-free conditions and much warmer temperatures in the future. This has happened before.

Scientists have documented evidence that the Arctic Ocean and Nordic Seas were too warm to support summer sea ice during the mid-Pliocene warm period (3.3 to 3 million years ago). This period is characterized by warm temperatures similar to those projected for the end of this century, and is used to help understand future conditions.

From: Ranga Sirilal, Reuters

MALE (Reuters) - The Maldives archipelago, threatened by rising sea levels blamed on climate change, said on Monday it would introduce a new environment tax on all tourists who use its resorts and provide its economic lifeline.

The Scripps research vessel (R/V) New Horizon left its San Diego homeport on Aug. 2 for the North Pacific Ocean Gyre, roughly a thousand miles off California's coast. With collaborators from Project Kaisei, the team is surveying plastic distribution and abundance, collecting samples for analysis in the lab and assessing the impacts of debris on marine life.

The scientists and research volunteers onboard are seeking scientific data on just how much influence the accumulation of human-produced plastic and other debris has on this ocean area. Prior to this cruise, very little was known about the size of the "garbage patch" and threats to marine life and the gyre's biological environment.

(CNN) -- The world's oceans are full of trash, causing "tremendous" negative impacts on coastal life and ecology, according to a U.N. report released Monday.

Trash clutters the world's oceans, as shown here near Hong Kong.