Coral Comback: Acheivements and Asprirations in Reef Resoration

The conversation around coral reefs has been booming in the past few years. Discussions usually begin by discussing how tragic of a situation we have on our hands, and they end with people feeling defeated by feelings of inevitability. Many people hear the importance of saving our reefs, yet do nothing to act, as it feels impossible to reverse all of the damage we as a society have already done. These feelings of impending doom rob people of their hope, leaving us feeling utterly powerless. In reality, there are numerous efforts being made by dedicated scientists to reverse this seemingly irreversible issue. Unfortunately, their efforts are not getting the recognition that they deserve. If we truly want to overcome this disaster, we must educate people of the current efforts being made. Spreading this knowledge will reinspire people to invest their hope and support the survival of our coral reefs. The common knowledge that most people are aware of is that coral reefs are rapidly declining due to factors like climate change, overfishing, pollution, and global warming– all issues that have intensified due to human interaction. Unfortunately, most people’s knowledge of the topic ends there, without any real understanding of why this is such a substantial issue.

Although they cover less than 1% of the ocean floor, coral reefs provide crucial protection for nearly a fourth of all sea life; the Great Barrier Reef alone is home to over 1,500 varying species of fish. Along with their obvious impacts on marine life, the reefs also serve many purposes for humans; in fact, over 500 million people depend on coral reefs for food, jobs, and coastal protection. Because of its impact on fish and other sea creatures, a large portion of human’s food supply would be lost without the reefs. Along with a significant deplete in food supply, there would also be economic impacts faced due to the large amount of jobs that rely on the reefs. Jobs in the food industry and tourist focused businesses bring large sums of money into local areas. The loss of coral reefs would result in nearly a $375 billion loss from the local and global economies that they impact. Along with their economic impacts, recent research is finding that the reefs maintain various chemicals that could aid scientists with creating new treatments for a variety of diseases. For example, extracts from coral have been used to create treatments for asthma, cancer, and heart disease. The reef’s impact doesn’t stop at jobs, food, and medical aid; the reefs also serve a huge purpose with coastal protection. Because of their surface area, the reefs are able to reduce the energy of a wave by nearly 95% making them vital in decreasing the possible damage done by storms, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Without this layer of protection offered by the reefs, we will have a significant increase in flooding and coastal erosion. 

In order to truly understand coral breeding done by modern scientists, you must first understand a coral’s basic structure as well as how it reproduces and behaves while in its natural environment. Corals are made up of tiny fragments called polyps. Each polyp connects to one another, building a colony that works as a single unit. This trait that coral has to essentially merge into one larger organism classifies it as a mega-builder. Its mega-building characteristics are what allow for scientists to create lab made coral, and then successfully introduce it back into the ocean. Along with using mega-building to connect, coral has the ability to reproduce asexually, meaning it can regenerate new copies of itself, by itself. Coral’s reproduction process only takes place once each year, making it a rare sighting for humans. Each year, a mature coral will release bundles of eggs and sperm simultaneously into the water. The bundles then float to the water’s surface for fertilization to occur. If the coral’s embryo, known as paula, is successfully fertilized, it will sink back down to the ocean floor and permanently settle. 

Successful and accurate distribution of the hybrid baby coral onto existing reefs is a key factor in ensuring maximum efficiency. To create a solution, researches At Queensland University of Technology in Australia and Southern Cross University, joined forces to create the LarvalBot—a drone that uses modern technology to implement their baby coral into the wild. The drone works by passing across the ocean floor and sending accurate images of existing coral. Researchers then examine said images and select specific areas for the drone to distribute the hybrid coral. Already, the LarvalBot and other similar techniques have successfully sent over 100,000 larvae back down to the ocean floor, where they are expected to flourish.  Experts think that if successfully executed, this technique will serve enormous benefits. 

The use of artificial reefs has become a widely respected attempt at reviving our coral reefs and thus far, scientists have made extensive progress.  Unfortunately, regeneration is a very slow process but time is not on our side. Educating people on the issues importance will raise awareness, heighten support, and encourage new developments in the field. Learning how our previous actions impact the planet encourages us to live more consciously, leading to prevention of future setbacks.