Global microbialization of coral reefs Abstract: Microbialization refers to the observed shift in ecosystem trophic structure towards higher microbial biomass and energy use. On coral reefs, the proximal causes of microbialization are overfishing and eutrophication, both of which facilitate enhanced growth of fleshy algae, conferring a competitive advantage over calcifying corals and coralline algae. The proposed mechanism for this competitive … Read More
Looking Back to the Line Islands
In the fall of 2010, researchers from SDSU, SIO, and other coral reef ecologists collaborated together for a research cruise to the Northern Line Islands, home to the some of the most pristine coral reef ecosystems still thriving in the world today.