the Coral Sea

Corals have a hormonal clock and it looks surprisingly like ours

Corals have a hormonal clock and it looks surprisingly like ours Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor A three-year study has cracked open the hidden biology behind coral reproduction, revealing hormone cycles that echo those of humans and other animals, and a new way to detect reef distress before it's too late. Once a year, on cue, corals across a reef release their eggs and sperm into the sea simultaneously. Coral reproduction is one of nature's most spectacular events.

'We're not greenies': Dive industry makes case for stronger ocean protections

Dive industry calls for more no-fish, no-drill zones as marine park review looms Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 4:56am Australia's dive industry has backed calls to expand no-fishing and no-drilling zones across the nation's oceans ahead of a federal review of marine parks. The sector will today launch a public advertising campaign urging stronger protections in offshore waters, including the Coral Sea off Queensland. The campaign comes as federal environment minister Murray Watt prepares to review 44...

Two decades of research shows Indonesia's coral reefs are heat tolerant—but only up to a point

Two decades of research shows Indonesia's coral reefs are heat tolerant—but only up to a point Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor Indonesia is home to the world's largest and most biodiverse coral reef system, spanning more than 32,000 square kilometers across the archipelago. Just like what is happening globally, these reefs are now bearing the brunt of a warming ocean. Our new study, however, found that despite rising sea temperatures, coral cover at most of our...

Epigenetic changes can be inherited without changing DNA in animals

Epigenetic changes can be inherited without changing DNA in animals Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Typically, the information encoded in DNA allows organisms to develop, function, and pass traits across generations. Yet DNA alone does not explain how genes are switched on and off in different cells and environments. This regulation is partly controlled by other factors called epigenetics, such as DNA methylation, a chemical modification that can influence gene...

Thousands of green sea turtle hatchlings swim to sea in a conservation win

Thousands of baby green sea turtles head to sea after successful egg relocation Mon 1 Jun 2026 at 1:25pm In short: An 82 per cent of the northern Great Barrier Reef green sea turtle eggs relocated between two islands have hatched. The species has faced increasing threats nesting on Raine Island, its main rookery. Researchers say future testing will be needed to determine if the successful hatchlings are also the same fitness More than 9,100 northern Great Barrier Reef green sea turtle...

Isolated showers tipped for parts of Qld this weekend

After a run of clear skies, showers will return to parts of Queensland late this weekend. Scattered showers are forecast along the south-east to Fraser coast from late Sunday as a high-pressure system moves across the country. The arrival of cloud cover is expected to raise minimum temperatures and bring warmer weather next week.

Amplified Arctic iceberg traffic reshapes benthic biodiversity

Abstract The Arctic is undergoing rapid warming, resulting in retreating sea ice and glaciers1, yet how cryospheric changes propagate into the deep ocean remains poorly understood2. Here we identify a climate-driven mechanism linking accelerating glacier disintegration to an increase in deep-sea hard-bottom habitats far beyond calving fronts. Seafloor observations in Fram Strait show a localized increase in the density and patchiness of dropstones delivered by debris-laden icebergs.

‘A landscape raw and wild’: by train to the heart of the Yorkshire Three Peaks

Rocks falling from melting icebergs host deep-sea oases of biodiversity

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Five winning images of scientists at work

Five winning images of scientists at work From sky to sea, and then back to the lab, here are the top images from Nature’s 2026 photo competition. This article is also available as a pdf version. As morning dawns over the fields and olive groves of Jaén in the south of Spain, a flock of northern bald ibises (Geronticus eremita) are in flight.