Seaweed's Deceptive Impact on Reef Health Revealed After Decades of Misleading Scientists

A new study has revealed that using seaweed as an indicator of coral reef health may be misleading scientists and misdirecting conservation efforts. The research analyzed data from over 1,200 oceanic sites and found that different species of macroalgae react differently to contamination, potentially obscuring signs of reef stress. Scientists have long assumed that increased macroalgae indicates reef damage, but the study suggests that this approach can actually hide signs of harm and misidentify reefs in need of intervention. The findings highlight the need for new methods to accurately assess the impact of human activity on coral reefs.