PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heatwave of 2023

Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heatwave of 2023
2024-09-18
(Press-News.org)

SECORE International’s Coral Seeding approach utilizes assisted reproduction, the breeding of corals, for reef restoration. This approach is realized within a training and partner network throughout the Caribbean. Now, a peer-reviewed study shows that all the effort was worthwhile: during the devastating heatwave in the Caribbean in 2023, the young, bred corals out on the reef stayed healthy while most of the remaining wild corals bleached and many died in the aftermath.

The summer of 2023 was deadly for many corals in the Caribbean Basin. An unprecedented heatwave, in intensity as well as in duration, hit the Caribbean with catastrophic effects. Coral bleaching spread in the Caribbean Sea, and as high (seawater) temperatures persisted, many weakened corals died.

Sandra Mendoza Quiroz, SECORE’S Restoration Coordinator in Mexico, was the first to discover a glimmer of hope during that desperate time. When Mendoza Quiroz and her colleagues set out for a routine monitoring dive to check on the health of their out-planted corals, expectations were low. But then, amidst the bleached corals on the reef, she spotted the first young corals that they had grown, and they appeared to be completely healthy. A similar observation was made by SECORE’s team on Curaçao: bred corals of a different species were withstanding the elevated temperatures as well.  

“We were excited to observe this pattern showing another benefit of using assisted coral recruits in restoration, “says Dr. Margaret Miller, SECORE’S Research Director. “Our scientists in Curaçao and Mexico, together with our partner Coralium Lab (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), gathered data on the health status of several species and cohorts of our outplanted corals. Then we contacted partners throughout our Caribbean Restoration Network to see how widespread and consistent this pattern was. Fundación Dominicana de Estudios Marinos, the Nature Conservancy in the Caribbean and Reef Renewal Foundation Bonaire contributed additional data. This provided confirmation that assisted recruits of six species of reef building corals at 15 individual reef sites in five nations throughout the Caribbean Basin showed the same pattern: young corals bred for restoration are a lot more resistant to bleaching under extreme levels of heat stress than the prevailing corals on the reef.”

The study Assisted sexual coral recruits show high thermal tolerance to the 2023 Caribbean mass bleaching event was just published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOSONE (Miller et al. 2024).

It is the first scientific evidence showing that restored corals from approaches using natural reproduction have improved resistance over natural and small fragmented corals under extreme seawater temperatures well above bleaching thresholds.

“I have been working on breeding corals in the Caribbean over the past thirty years, while simultaneously witnessing tremendous coral loss - due to disease, hurricanes and heat waves - and the unraveling of the communities that depend on them,” says Dr. Miller. “These results provide a lot of encouragement and confirmation that restoration using assisted coral recruits can play an important role in orchestrating coral persistence into our warmer future. Nonetheless, truly securing the future of coral reefs is absolutely dependent on humankind’s success in controlling global warming.”

Just a decade ago, corals were propagated only by fragmentation, that is, breaking a fragment off a source colony to grow a new colony which is its clone. Small coral fragments are grown in nurseries and transplanted onto the reef manually. Today, Coral Seeding - breeding corals for restoration - is implemented throughout the Caribbean by SECORE‘s Training and Capacity Building Program. 

SECORE’s Coral Seeding approach involves collecting coral spawn from wild corals, fertilizing the eggs and sperm in the lab (or on a boat or beach), and thus producing millions of coral embryos. The developing coral larvae are grown in enclosures in the ocean and settled on special substrates. After the corals have reached a certain size, the substrates are outplanted onto the reef. 

Every time a population reproduces, new offspring receive newly mixed sets of genes through recombination, making them different from their parent colonies and thus enabling adaptation. The aforementioned study shows that only the young corals produced via breeding exhibit a higher resistance to bleaching compared to adult coral colonies and fragments. Although naturally occurring offspring could perform similarly under elevated temperatures, general recruitment failure of reef-building species in the Caribbean means hardly any natural offspring occur. 

“I am excited about the very positive results of this large study since it shows that our Coral Seeding approach is an important contribution to help coral reefs dealing with climate change,” says Dr. Dirk Petersen, SECORE’s Founder and Executive Director. “Our investment over the past five years to build a large network for coral restoration in the Caribbean has paid off. This network not only produces and outplants tens of thousands of corals every year but could also immediately assess how these corals responded to this unprecedented heat wave. Our priority is now to further scale efforts to the ecosystem level. “

Successful coral restoration clearly needs a cooperative strategy; not only working among disciplines such as science and engineering, translating findings into low-tech approaches that prioritize feasibility and large-scale implementation, but also working together with partners in a multifaceted network. It's also about logistics, effectiveness, and training, as well as applying tools and technology on-site – embedded in sound management strategies that integrate the local community. 

It is obvious that if we neglect to take actions against accelerating climate change and the impacts it has on our planet, coral restoration alone won’t cure our reefs in the long run. However, restoration can buy us the urgently needed time to support coral populations to survive for the next century. 

“Our Caribbean Training and Capacity Building Program has turned out to be a successful model, which we urgently need to take to other regions across the world,” says Dr. Petersen. “Last year was the first time that we witnessed such extreme weather events, but it certainly won’t be the last; and such extreme events will not remain unique to the Caribbean. Restoration measures are best implemented at an early stage to strengthen the reefs. Once degradation has reached a critical level, restoration becomes much more challenging. To prepare practitioners in other regions for implementing sustainable restoration at their reefs, we have established some solid partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. This summer, we hosted our first initial training for participants from US jurisdictions in the Western Pacific. We will also establish a SECORE team in Mauritius by the end of this year. This new base will serve as a distribution point for restoration training in the Indian Ocean. Restoration truly is a cooperative effort - let's all work together to give these valuable ecosystems a future!”

www.secore.org

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heatwave of 2023 Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heatwave of 2023 2 Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heatwave of 2023 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

South African rock art possibly inspired by long-extinct species

South African rock art possibly inspired by long-extinct species
2024-09-18
A mysterious tusked animal depicted in South African rock art might portray an ancient species preserved as fossils in the same region, according to a study published September 18, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Julien Benoit of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. The Horned Serpent panel is a section of rock wall featuring artwork of animals and other cultural elements associated with the San people of South Africa, originally painted between 1821 and 1835. Among the painted figures is ...

Even marine animals in untouched habitats are at risk from human impacts

Even marine animals in untouched habitats are at risk from human impacts
2024-09-18
Climate change and a range of other human impacts are putting marine animals at risk of extinction – even those living in almost pristine marine habitats and diverse coastal regions – reports a new study by Casey O'Hara of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA, and colleagues, published September 18, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. Human activities on land and sea, in combination with climate change, are degrading coastal ...

Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules shape-shift into versatile robots

Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules shape-shift into versatile robots
2024-09-18
Stuttgart – Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) have developed hexagon-shaped robotic components, called modules, that can be snapped together LEGO-style into high-speed robots that can be rearranged for different capabilities. The team of researchers from the Robotic Materials Department at MPI-IS, led by Christoph Keplinger, integrated artificial muscles into hexagonal exoskeletons that are embedded with magnets, allowing for quick mechanical and electrical connections. The team’s work, “Hexagonal electrohydraulic modules for rapidly reconfigurable high-speed robots” will be published in Science ...

Flexible circuits made with silk and graphene on the horizon

Flexible circuits made with silk and graphene on the horizon
2024-09-18
RICHLAND, Wash.—After thousands of years as a highly valuable commodity, silk continues to surprise. Now it may help usher in a whole new direction for microelectronics and computing. While silk protein has been deployed in designer electronics, its use is currently limited in part because silk fibers are a messy tangle of spaghetti-like strands.  Now, a research team led by scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has tamed the tangle.  They report in the journal ...

Scott Emr and Wesley Sundquist awarded 2024 Horwitz Prize for discovering the ESCRT pathway

Scott Emr and Wesley Sundquist awarded 2024 Horwitz Prize for discovering the ESCRT pathway
2024-09-18
NEW YORK, NY (September 18, 2024)—Columbia University will award the 2024 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Scott Emr and Wesley Sundquist for discovering the ESCRT (Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport) pathway and revealing how it works. ESCRT (pronounced “escort”) complexes deform the cell membrane and bend parts of it away from the cytoplasm, the space that houses all material inside a cell. This unique process plays an essential role in keeping cells healthy by packaging and sorting molecules, removing waste, and regulating important functions such as cell division, neuron remodeling, ...

Versatile knee exo for safer lifting

2024-09-18
Images A set of knee exoskeletons, built with commercially available knee braces and drone motors at the University of Michigan, has been shown to help counteract fatigue in lifting and carrying tasks. They helped users maintain better lifting posture even when tired, a key factor in defending against on-the-job injuries, the researchers say.   "Rather than directly bracing the back and giving up on proper lifting form, we strengthen the legs to maintain it," said Robert Gregg, U-M professor of robotics and corresponding author of the study in Science Robotics. "This differs from what's more commonly done in industry."   Already ...

NIH-led studies point to potential development of a cataract drug

NIH-led studies point to potential development of a cataract drug
2024-09-18
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators have identified a protein, known as RNF114, that reverses cataracts, a clouding of the eye’s lens that occurs commonly in people as they age. The study, which was conducted in the 13-lined ground squirrel and rats, may represent a possible surgery-free strategy for managing cataracts, a common cause of vision loss.  The study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. “Scientists have long searched for an alternative to cataract surgery, which is effective, but not without risk. Lack of access to cataract surgery is a barrier to care in some ...

Artificial intelligence grunt work can be outsourced using a new blockchain-based framework developed by Concordians

Artificial intelligence grunt work can be outsourced using a new blockchain-based framework developed by Concordians
2024-09-18
Tomorrow’s workplace will be run on mind-boggling amounts of data. To make sense of it all, businesses, developers and individuals will need better artificial intelligence (AI) systems, better trained AI workers and more efficient number-crunching servers. While big tech companies have the resources and expertise to meet these demands, they remain beyond the reach of most small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals. To respond to this need, a Concordia-led international team of researchers has developed a new framework to make complex AI tasks more accessible ...

Mental health challenges faced by children with cystic fibrosis are the focus of a major, multisite study led by UB

Mental health challenges faced by children with cystic fibrosis are the focus of a major, multisite study led by UB
2024-09-18
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A University at Buffalo psychiatrist who has played a critical role in getting mental health screening and treatment integrated into routine care for adults and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been awarded $3 million from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to focus on the mental health of children with the disease.   Led by UB and launched this summer, the new study is an outgrowth of The International Depression Epidemiological Study (TIDES), which began in 2014 and was the largest study of mental health in adolescents and adults with CF. As a result of TIDES, ...

UC3M and Universia obtain an ENIA Chair in artificial intelligence in data economy

UC3M and Universia obtain an ENIA Chair in artificial intelligence in data economy
2024-09-18
The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is one of 22 institutions that have been selected by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service to create an ENIA Chair to further the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based applications. The AImpulsa UC3M-Universia Chair, as it is called, will be the only one of its kind in Spain in the area of Data Economy and will collaborate with Universia-Banco Santander, through Santander Universities. The ENIA Chairs' objectives, which depend on the Secretary of State for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Arthropods dominate plant litter decomposition in drylands

World-renowned organic chemists attend inaugural science symposium hosted by Rice’s Global Paris Center

The trees of Miami’s future

MIT team takes a major step toward fully 3D-printed active electronics

Accelerated three-year medical school students perform as well as peers in traditional four-year programs

SwRI-developed instruments will study potential habitability of Jupiter’s moon Europa

Proposed scoring system may enhance equity in organ transplantation, increase transplant rates and improve patient survival

Survivors of childhood brain cancer are more likely to be held back in school

Updating offshore turbine designs to reflect storms’ complexity is key

Hospital strain during the COVID-19 pandemic and outcomes in older racial and ethnic minority adults

Scientists unveils key role of “selfish DNA” in early human development

Bonobos may be more vulnerable than previously thought, suggests genetics study

Scripps Research scientists discover chemical probes for previously “undruggable” cancer target

Giant Magellan telescope begins primary mirror support system testing

Experimental cancer drug eliminates bone metastases caused by breast cancer in lab models

Political candidates who fight climate change stand to benefit in election

Stand up to Cancer announces new grants supporting pioneering research in six cancer types

Researchers awarded $1.3M to help military Veterans battling Acute Myeloid Leukemia

New hub for high-energy astrophysics — CTAO Science Data Management Centre opens at DESY in Zeuthen

JMIR publications CEO and Executive Editor Gunther Eysenbach achieves #1 ranking as most cited researcher in Medical Informatics for fifth consecutive year

ERC grant for groundbreaking wearable health tech

NIH announces winners of prize competition to improve postpartum maternal health and health equity through innovative diagnostics

APS and SPR honor Dr. Cynthia F. Bearer with the 2025 Mary Ellen Avery Neonatal Research Award

Election delays and voter trust

US air pollution monitoring network has gaps in coverage, say researchers

Continuous monitoring of fatigue in factory workers

Farmer ants’ wearable bacteria

Political polarization and trust

Study uncovers how silkworm moth's odor detection may improve robotics

New study links obesity to elevated hypertension risk among young middle eastern women

[Press-News.org] Propagated corals reveal increased resistance to bleaching across the Caribbean during the fatal heatwave of 2023