Cryopreservation Can Protect Coral Reefs From Decline Due to Pollution, Climate Change

The world's corals play a significant role for fish and other species, providing breeding grounds, habitats, and food sources for marine animals. While their survival has ecological importance, corals have continued to decline. A new report explains that cryopreservation of corals can protect and help them repopulate. 

Understanding the state of corals will help conservation amidst the growing concerns of climate change and warming trends. Without urgent protection, corals can likely suffer more from ocean bleaching, causing a potential collapse of marine ecosystems and biodiversity.

Threats to Coral Reefs and the Significance of Cryopreservation

Persistent threats have caused the decline of many corals due to climate change and warming events. The National Ocean Service (NOAA) explains that anthropogenic threats have alarming impacts on many corals. Some of the other threats are the following:

• Pollution
• Overfishing
• Coral mining
• Climate change and global warming
• Illegal fishing practices
• Oil leak

Climate change can intensify the warming event, bringing increasing ocean temperatures or heatwaves. Corals are sensitive to frequent temperature fluctuations. While they can be resilient, rapid global warming can be disastrous for coral reefs.

According to recent NWN reports, the warming trend is also threatening cold-water corals in the deep sea. Additionally, overharvesting of sea cucumbers can impact the health of corals, as the species are significant in keeping corals healthy by cleaning reef sediments and microbial pathogens.

The report was published in Nature Communications journal.

As a result, a new report explains the importance of cryopreservation in protecting coral reefs from the pressing threats of pollution and climate change. It can potentially prevent the decline of corals, which have ecological importance for biodiversity and people.

Based on the report, cryopreservation can save corals from repopulating in the future, for 10 years or more, amidst the impacts of rising temperatures. The process aims to store the coral larvae and sperm that will be helpful in the future. It will prevent ice formation and ensure that the corals remain uncharged at very low temperatures, preventing the potential extinction of rare corals.

In the biorepositories, coral reefs will be protected through cryopreservation. NWN also reports that researchers looked into coral reef signals and audio, which are essential in the restoration of coral reefs. The findings were published in Royal Society Open Science. Soundscape enrichment, or coral acoustic enrichment, can offer new knowledge about larval settlement rates.

Also Read: Climate Change Threatens Cold-Water Corals in Deep Sea Due to Warming Trend

Warming Event Impacts on Colorful Corals

In January 2024, the report raised concerns about the impacts of the warming event on coral reefs in Florida. The recent hotter temperatures affected many corals in the region, causing them to turn white or suffer from ocean bleaching. Researchers explained that climate change helped to worsen the state of corals.

Related Article: Overharvesting Threatens Sea Cucumbers' Role To Keep Coral Healthy, Study Warns

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