A 3 km long coral reef has been discovered in the south pacific off of the coast of Tahiti

A “magical” coral reef stretching as far as the eye can see has been discovered off the coast of the South Pacific island Tahiti.

Most of the world’s known coral reefs are at depths of 25 metres and above, with many facing the risk of collapse as the world’s oceans continue to heat.

In September, a study found coral reef coverage had fallen by half since the 1950s because of global heating, overfishing, pollution and habitat destruction.

Speaking to the BBC Prof Murray Roberts, a marine scientist at the University of Edinburgh, said the discovery underscored the need to map similar reefs to make sure they can be protected in the future.

“We still associate corals with the shallowest tropical seas but here we find a huge previously unknown coral reef system.

“As shallow waters warm faster than the deeper waters we may find these deeper reef systems are refuges for corals in the future. We need to get out there to map these special places,” he said.

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The 2022 Michael Smith Science Challenge Competition takes place on Feb. 15, 2022.

The Michael Smith Science Challenge is a bilingual national competition written by students in Grade 10 Science or lower.

It emphasizes logical thinking and covers material in the science curriculum common to all provinces.

It is named in honour of UBC’s Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Michael Smith and is sponsored by the UBC Faculty of Science.

Prizes are awarded to the top students (and their teachers) in each province, territory, and nationally.

The 2022 Challenge will be run entirely online – students will complete the challenge entirely online at school or at home – depending on local circumstances and at the discretion of the teacher.

No teacher invigilation is required. Teachers with questions regarding the challenge can contact mschall@phas.ubc.ca for more information.

The 2022 official writing day is Tuesday, February 15, 2022

This challenge will be a one-hour, timed contest to be started and completed between 06:00-20:00 Pacific Standard Time.

Students need to register with their teacher to participate in the competion.  The exam is written online.  Please see your science teacher to register before Jan. 21, 2022.

Interested?  Take a look at the 2021 competition.

Prizes

We reserve the right not to give a provincial prize if the top mark from that province is lower than the national average, or if less than 20 students or three schools participate from that province. We also reserve the right, in the event of a draw, to depart from our stated list of national prizes.

Nationally: 1st – $500, 2nd – $250, 3rd – $100

Provincially: $100 for the top student without a national prize, $50 for each student in a tie

Teachers: $50 for a teacher with a prize-winning student

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/fluor-challenge-2022?from=Newsletter

Fluor 2022 Engineering Challenge