Another reason to protect our oceans: they may help us medically! Science Daily writes: sea coral could soon be used more extensively in bone grafting procedures thanks to new research that has refined the material's properties and made it more compatible with natural bone. Read the full article here.
Global warming is causing a silent storm in the oceans by acidifying waters at a record rate, threatening marine life from coral reefs to fish stocks, writes The Sydney Morning Herald. Read the full article here.
Here's a good news story on climate change from ABC online: The unspoilt tropical waters of Australia's Kimberley coast are home to corals thriving in environmental extremes of temperature and salinity not seen anywhere else in the world. Read the full story here.
It's not all doom and gloom in the oceans! New research shows seagrass, mangroves and salt-marsh ecosystems can adapt to and help mitigate climate change impacts. Defences include being major CO2 sinks, dissipating waves and reducing coastal erosion, according to the University of WA. Read more.
Redmap has launched a free phone application to complement our website!
At the end of the Busselton Jetty is an underwater observatory where you can walk 8 metres down a staircase to the seafloor. The viewing windows allow visitors to watch fish hanging around the pier. But it also offers a unique opportunity to view uncommon marine visitors and record observations.
Next time your partner whines you're going fishing again, feel free to use our excuse: "It's not fishing, it's research!" Check out Redmap's new 45-sec promo video!
Chocolate rations, “crazy” fish and the spread of ancient diseases probably don’t spring to mind when you think of climate change. We scanned the news for reports of the more unusual impacts of rising temperatures.
About 75 per cent of Redmap photos are uploaded by scuba divers! Read these amusing dive stories from citizen scientists around the country.
Explore the Seafloor is asking for help to identify images of sea urchins and kelp during August. The project takes a 'crowd-sourcing' approach to a job normally done by research assistants! Read more at www.exploretheseafloor.net.au.
