New Deep-Sea Coral Species Discovered in Atlantic Marine Monument
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 9 April 2019
WHOI and partners discovered two new deep-sea coral species in Lydonia Canyon during a 2018 OceanX expedition. DNA barcoding confirmed the finds, highlighting the Northeast Canyons' unique biodiversity and the need to protect this Atlantic marine monument.
Keywords: biodiversity, marine conservation, new species, Atlantic Ocean, Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Corals in the Red Sea Offer Long-term View of South Asian Monsoon
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 15 April 2019
WHOI scientists used Red Sea corals to reconstruct 300 years of monsoon wind data, revealing stronger winds over time. Despite declining rainfall records, this supports climate models and may reflect missed data or pollution-suppressed precipitation.
Keywords: paleoclimate, Konrad Hughen, Sean Bryan, dust transport, Indian subcontinent, aerosol pollution.
Microbes May Act as Gatekeepers of Earth’s Deep Carbon
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 19 April 2019
WHOI scientists found that microbes in Costa Rica’s subduction zone trap carbon before it reaches the mantle, reducing deep Earth carbon input by up to 19%. This reveals a key natural process of carbon sequestration.
Keywords: WHOI, carbon, microbes, subduction, mantle
