Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Wed, Jun 10, 2026 05:28 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

John Bythell

Professor of Coral Reef Biology, Newcastle University
Coral reef ecology is at the forefront of national and international media attention because of the serious threats to these ecosystems from global climate change, disease and over-exploitation. As long ago as 1998, a global sea surface temperature event is estimated to have killed 17% of the corals of the world. Regional mass bleaching events are now common occurrences, often followed by disease outbreaks. My recent research has addressed two main foci in the study of coral health and disease: 1) the development of a culture-independent molecular microbial ecology approach to the study of emergent diseases in reef corals, and 2) The cellular and molecular responses of reef corals to infection and environmental stress, most recently in relation to cell death pathways and mucus secretion dynamics. The next phase of this research is to combine the molecular and cellular host coral stress responses with experimental manipulation of microbial exposure and environmental stress. As genomic information becomes available for corals and related lower invertebrates, post-genomic and proteomic approaches to stress and disease analysis have also become possible.

From 2012-2015 I held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & International) at the University of the South Pacific, based in Fiji. The small island states of the south Pacific are at the forefront of global climate change impacts. Prior to that, I was a member of an international ‘Coral Reef Targeted Research’ programme investigating coral bleaching (http://www.gefcoral.org/) and more recently acted on the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association programme committee (http://www.wiomsa.org/). I am particularly concerned about raising awareness of the dramatic impacts of climate change in tropical coastal ecosystems (see video article at: http://www.climateshifts.org/?p=5779).

3D printing coral reefs can create new habitat – but it doesn't tackle human destruction

Oct 09, 2018 13:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Nature Technology

Coral reefs are vanishing from the worlds oceans. At least three quarters of these tropical marine habitats are severely threatened globally and in 2016 alone, the Great Barrier Reef lost up to 30% of its coral cover. But...

Economy

New Zealand Unemployment and Inflation Debate Intensifies Ahead of 2026 Election

New Zealands economic outlook has become increasingly complicated as rising inflation and elevated unemployment place the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) under growing pressure ahead of the closely contested 2026...

Asian Stocks Slide, Oil Prices Climb as Middle East Tensions and Inflation Fears Shake Markets in 2026

Asian stock markets declined on Wednesday while oil prices advanced as escalating tensions in the Middle East fueled investor concerns and weakened confidence across global financial markets. The renewed conflict has...

Japan Producer Prices Surge in May, Strengthening Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike

Japans producer prices increased more than expected in May, highlighting ongoing inflationary pressures driven by rising energy and raw material import costs. Fresh data released by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) showed that the...

US Stock Futures Slip as New Iran Strikes Weigh on Market Sentiment Ahead of Inflation Data

U.S. stock index futures moved lower on Tuesday evening as renewed military action involving Iran dampened investor confidence and raised fresh concerns about geopolitical stability. Market participants are also closely...

BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Rise as Weak Yen and Strong U.S. Jobs Data Increase Pressure

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is facing growing pressure to accelerate interest rate hikes as the Japanese yen remains weak and expectations increase for a more hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve policy. Strong U.S. labor market data...

Politics

Randy Villegas Advances to Face David Valadao in Key California Congressional Race

Democratic challenger Randy Villegas, an educator and community advocate, is projected to advance to the November general election following Californias open primary election held on Tuesday. According to U.S. media...

US Voters Prioritize Party Loyalty Over Candidate Controversies, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that most American voters are unlikely to abandon their preferred political partys candidate, even when serious controversies surround them. The findings highlight the growing political...

Trump Nears Decision on Permanent U.S. Intelligence Chief as FISA Renewal Faces Senate Resistance

President Donald Trump is reportedly close to selecting a permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI), according to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, as lawmakers debate the future of a key U.S. surveillance law set...

Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra Advance to California Governor Election After Primary Results

Republican political commentator Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra have officially advanced to Californias November 3, 2026, gubernatorial election after emerging as the top two candidates in the states June 2 open...

LePage Wins GOP Nomination in Key Maine House Race Ahead of 2026 Election

Former Maine Governor Paul LePage has secured the Republican nomination for Maines 2nd Congressional District, setting the stage for a closely watched showdown in the 2026 U.S. House election. The race is expected to draw...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceX IPO Demand Surges Past $250 Billion Ahead of Historic Market Debut

SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, is attracting unprecedented investor interest ahead of what could become the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history. According to a Reuters report, investor...

Trump Administration Defends Anthropic AI Restrictions in Ongoing Federal Lawsuit

The Trump administration has defended its decision to restrict the use of Anthropics artificial intelligence products, arguing in a new court filing that the federal government acted lawfully after the AI company resisted...

OpenAI Files Confidential IPO Draft as AI Giants Race Toward Public Markets

OpenAI has confidentially submitted a draft S-1 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), taking a major step toward a potential initial public offering (IPO). The move positions the...

Apple Unveils Enhanced Apple Intelligence and Next-Generation Siri at WWDC 2026

Apple has introduced the latest version of its Apple Intelligence platform at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, signaling a stronger push into the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence market. The...

Qualcomm Stock Gains After Jensen Huang Endorsement

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) shares moved higher in after-hours trading on Monday, rising approximately 2% after NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang publicly praised the semiconductor company and encouraged investors to...