Your current location:HOME >business >Scientists struggle to protect infant corals from hungry fish 正文
TIME:2024-04-30 09:44:55 Source: Internet compilationEdit:business
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. —South Florida researchers trying to prevent predatory fish from devouring lab
South Florida researchers trying to prevent predatory fish from devouring laboratory-grown coral are grasping at biodegradable straws in an effort to restore what some call the rainforest of the sea.
Scientists around the world have been working for years to address the decline of coral reef populations. Just last summer, reef rescue groups in South Florida and the Florida Keys were trying to save coral from rising ocean temperatures. Besides working to keep existing coral alive, researchers have also been growing new coral in labs and then placing them in the ocean.
But protecting the underwater ecosystem that maintains more than 25% of all marine species is not easy. Even more challenging is making sure that coral grown in a laboratory and placed into the ocean doesn't become expensive fish food.
Marine researcher Kyle Pisano said one problem is that predators like parrot fish attempt to bite and destroy the newly transplanted coral in areas like South Florida, leaving them with less than a 40% survival rate. With projects calling for thousands of coral to be planted over the next year and tens of thousands of coral to be planted over the next decade, the losses add up when coral pieces can cost more than $100 each.
Pisano and his partner, Kirk Dotson, have developed the Coral Fort, claiming the small biodegradable cage that's made in part with drinking straws boosts the survival rate of transplanted coral to over 90%.
"Parrot fish on the reef really, really enjoy biting a newly transplanted coral," Pisano said. "They treat it kind of like popcorn."
Music and martial arts witness China2024-04-30 09:07
Best credit cards rated: Top for cashback, rewards and clearing debt2024-04-30 08:58
Was the Budget too little, too late2024-04-30 08:35
New wonders of the world! The crowd2024-04-30 08:12
British and Irish officials meet as tensions rise over what to do with asylum seekers2024-04-30 08:12
Come fry with me! The UK's cheapest and priciest airports for a full English breakfast revealed2024-04-30 08:01
With a wet Easter looming, we round up the 20 best last2024-04-30 07:43
More than 214k vehicles seized by police forces last year2024-04-30 07:14
Huairou set for Beijing film festival2024-04-30 07:07
Was the Budget too little, too late2024-04-30 07:03
Popular Chinese crosstalk comedians bring laughter, cultural charisma to London2024-04-30 09:10
Humiliation for Saudi Arabia as it's 'forced to scale back $1.5trillion plans for 1062024-04-30 08:54
Bridges across the US that suffered same fate as Francis Scott Key in Baltimore2024-04-30 08:46
We're Americans who lived in the UK for six months2024-04-30 08:37
1 dead, 7 missing after 2 Japan MSDF helicopters crash near Izu Islands2024-04-30 08:31
'This HAS to be the world's best business2024-04-30 07:48
China's Xi Jinping delivers unexpected speech at UN hours after US President Joe Biden speaks2024-04-30 07:23
Best credit cards rated: Top for cashback, rewards and clearing debt2024-04-30 07:10
China's NEVs powering up to lead global sustainability charge2024-04-30 07:09
Will the Budget cut taxes2024-04-30 07:04