Global ‘Noahʻs Ark’ to safeguard coral reefs, led by UH scientists

Acropora muricata, Heron Island, Australia.
Photo Credit: Claire Lager, Smithsonian

In a landmark effort to combat the devastating effects of climate change, a new global alliance with key leadership from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has been established to create a “Noahʻs Ark” for coral reefs. The initiative, detailed in a publication in BioScience, focuses on building a worldwide network of coral biorepositories to safeguard the genetic diversity of these vital ecosystems.

The research, led by Mary Hagedorn of the UH Mānoa Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology and Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, highlights the critical need for a proactive conservation strategy. With global carbon emissions continuing to rise, the alliance aims to provide a critical safeguard against extinction by preserving coral genetic material in biosecure facilities.

Mary Hagedorn and Gin Carter checking a frozen coral biorepository.
Photo Credit: Smithsonian

‘A bold plan to save coral’

“This is an urgent and ambitious endeavor,” said Hagedorn, lead author of the study. “By integrating and standardizing our processes globally, we can ensure that we have the resources to not only prevent extinction but also to support long-term coral adaptation, resilience and restoration.”

The network will use a three-pronged approach to conservation: frozen nonliving tissue samples, live coral colonies in aquaculture, and cryopreserved (deep-freezing process) samples of frozen and live coral. This innovative approach provides a last-resort safety net, ensuring that essential bio—and genetic diversity can be preserved for future generations.

Porites compressa branch from Kāneʻohe Bay, Oʻahu.
Photo Credit: Riley Perry, Smithsonian

The global biorepository network will be instrumental in developing new, stronger types of coral, because coral can now be spawned in captivity. Therefore this network can be used to restore damaged reefs and help them survive in a changing climate today while holding other material for the future. The publication calls on the scientific community, conservation organizations and governments to support this critical infrastructure for the future of marine biodiversity.

Published in journal: BioScience

Title: Conservation of coral genetic diversity through a global biorepository network

Authors: Mary Hagedorn, Nikolas Zuchowicz, E Michael Henley, Claire Lager, Riley Perry, Harvey Blackburn, Jessica Bouwmeester, Olivier Brunel, Claire Carter, Kathryn M Rodriguez-Clark, Pierre Comizzoli, Beth Firchau, Dean Miller, Jennifer Moore, Erinn M Muller, Keri O'Neil, Andrea M Quattrini, Didier Zoccola, Anastazia T Banaszak, Kristen L Marhaver, Rebecca Hobbs, Justine K O'Brien, Jonathan Daly

Source/Credit: University of Hawaiʻi

Reference Number: cons092525_01

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