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HIMB Scientists Develop Website to Aid with Climate Change Research

By Guest PostNovember 5, 2011Environment, Nature, Scienceanemones, climate change, coral reef ecosystems, corals, erik franklin, flagellate protozoa, genbank, geographic details of the symbiodinium records, geospatial visualization, geosymbio, geosymbio application, google apps, google sites, hawaii institute of marine biology, himb, hollie putnam, hybrid web application, interactive global map of corals, jellyfish, marine organisms, michael stat, national center for ecological analysis and synthesis, nceas, photosynthetic dinoflagellates, ruth gates, symbiodinium, symbiodinium ecology, symbiotic zooxanthellae, taxonomic description, tim mcclanahan, tropical coral reefs, uh manoa, uni cellular, xavier pochon, zooxanthellae

A team of researchers from UH Mānoa’s Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) has developed an interactive global map of corals and zooxanthellae, commonly known as flagellate protozoa, as part of a hybrid web application titled GeoSymbio. This application provides global-scale biological and ecosystem information on symbiotic zooxanthellae called Symbiodinium, which are uni-cellular, photosynthetic dinoflagellates that live inside the cells of other marine organisms like anemones, jellyfish and corals.

The GeoSymbio application provides the genetic identification and taxonomic description of over 400 distinct Symbiodinium subclades or genetic lineages in invertebrate hosts that have been sampled from a variety of marine habitats, thereby providing a wealth of information for symbiosis researchers in a single online location. By utilizing Google Apps, the team was able to develop this web-based tool to discover, explore, visualize and share data in a rapid, cost-effective and engaging manner. (more…)

Listing of Rare Hawaiian Coral Species Called into Question

Close up of Montipora patula (Sandpaper Rice Coral). Image credit: Zac Forsman

Researchers at the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB), an organized research unit in the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology have made a remarkable new discovery.

Coral reef ecosystems are one of the most diverse habitats on the planet, providing habitat for a wide variety of marine animals. Unfortunately, coral reefs and their associated fish, algae, and invertebrate species are in worldwide decline. In 2009, 83 rare corals were petitioned to be listed under the United States Endangered Species Act. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service is currently reviewing the status of the coral on the petition. If the listing is granted, it will afford higher protection and designate critical habitat for these corals. But are all the ‘species’ on this list really species? (more…)

Tag Archives: coral reef ecosystems

HIMB Scientists Develop Website to Aid with Climate Change Research

Listing of Rare Hawaiian Coral Species Called into Question