Restoring Coral Reefs, One Gamete at a Time
Every year, the August full moon triggers corals off the coast of Florida to begin their annual spawning period, releasing sperm and eggs, also known as gametes, into the water column. This past August was no different and NOAA-supported researchers from the Nova Southeastern University’s National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., working with scientists and managers of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, were there to catch the action. Their mission was to collect the gametes, bring them back to the lab, and attempt to grow them into juvenile corals that can be transplanted back to damaged coral reefs.
The Mission
The divers departed at dusk from the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center and entered the water around 6:00 p.m. Researchers placed large mesh nets topped with plastic collection cups over the female colonies to catch the eggs as they floated to the surface. To collect the sperm, divers equipped with plastic bags were stationed near the male colonies, poised to scoop up as much as they could as clouds of sperm were released.
“Imagine stumbling around in the dark with a small flashlight trying to collect fruit flies in a ziplock bag while the entire room is swaying back and forth. That’s the closest I could come to describing what collecting coral gametes by hand, is like,” commented NCRI research assistant and graduate student Adam St. Gelais. “When it all comes together though, it is a very special thing for a coral researcher to witness.”
Gametes are collected and placed in buckets for transport back to NCRI.
High resolution (Credit:NCRI)
The collected gametes were brought to the surface and placed in buckets on the dive boat to mix and fertilize. Back at the laboratory, the fertilized eggs were placed in a controlled aquarium environment where they will develop into juvenile coral colonies in about a month. These colonies will be nurtured until they are large enough to be returned to the reef, helping to restore its health.
“The use of sexually-reproduced, juvenile corals grown in the laboratory has great potential to provide a viable alternative in coral reef restoration,” says NCRI research scientist Dr. Alison Moulding. “Through this research, we hope to help address critical issues facing coral reefs in the U.S. and worldwide.”
Importance of Coral Reefs
Coral reefs, a critical part of the ocean ecosystem, teem with sea life that relies on them for survival. They are important to the economy, providing millions of people around the globe with food, coastal storm protection, and jobs. It is predicted that 15% of the world's coral reefs are under imminent threat of joining the 'Effectively Lost' category within the next 10-20 years unless effective management actions are implemented (The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States, 2008). Practical solutions for restoring and reinvigorating coral reefs are urgently needed, and the work being done by these NOAA-supported scientists will be critical in doing
just that. 