Behind the Tanks

Acropora cytherea table coral in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, photographed by Dr. Dwayne Meadows, NOAA

Can Probiotics Help Corals Survive Heat Stress?

Researchers tested coral probiotics and postbiotics during a real Red Sea marine heatwave. Here is what they found and why the coral microbiome matters to reef keepers.

Can Probiotics Help Corals Survive Heat Stress?

Researchers tested coral probiotics and postbiotics during a real Red Sea marine heatwave. Here is what they found and why the coral microbiome matters to reef keepers.

Divers surveying benthic cover at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: Karl Teague, National Park Service. Source: NOAA/NCCOS.

Scientists Just Finished the 2026 Checkup on Te...

NOAA scientists just finished the 2026 coral reef monitoring mission at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Here is what they are watching and why these Texas reefs matter.

Scientists Just Finished the 2026 Checkup on Te...

NOAA scientists just finished the 2026 coral reef monitoring mission at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Here is what they are watching and why these Texas reefs matter.

How to Culture Live Phytoplankton at Home

A practical guide to starting, feeding, lighting, splitting, sterilizing, and maintaining a healthy live phytoplankton culture at home.

How to Culture Live Phytoplankton at Home

A practical guide to starting, feeding, lighting, splitting, sterilizing, and maintaining a healthy live phytoplankton culture at home.

Copepods: What They Are and Why They Matter in ...

Copepods are tiny crustaceans that play an outsized role in reef aquariums — feeding fish and corals, recycling nutrients, and linking phytoplankton to the rest of the food web. Here's...

Copepods: What They Are and Why They Matter in ...

Copepods are tiny crustaceans that play an outsized role in reef aquariums — feeding fish and corals, recycling nutrients, and linking phytoplankton to the rest of the food web. Here's...

Deep sea non-photosynthetic corals in the ocean

The Ocean Food Web Starts With Something You Ca...

Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean but support 25% of all marine life. Here's how phytoplankton — something you need a microscope to see — powers the...

The Ocean Food Web Starts With Something You Ca...

Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean but support 25% of all marine life. Here's how phytoplankton — something you need a microscope to see — powers the...

Bright yellow reef sponge with oscula openings and bryozoan colony, photo credit NOAA Photo Library

Nature's Janitorial Crew: How Sponges and Bryoz...

Sponges and bryozoans are the unsung heroes of reef ecosystems — filter feeding around the clock, recycling nutrients, and keeping the water clean. Here's why they matter.

Nature's Janitorial Crew: How Sponges and Bryoz...

Sponges and bryozoans are the unsung heroes of reef ecosystems — filter feeding around the clock, recycling nutrients, and keeping the water clean. Here's why they matter.