Top 12 Coral Reef Rescue Missions: The 7th Method Sparks Hope

5. Coral Cryopreservation

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Scientists are working towards techniques to cryopreserve coral specimens in a race against time. Under very low temperatures, this "coral ark" method freezes coral pieces and sperm, therefore preserving their genetic material for next restoration projects. Maintaining a varied genetic library of coral species is the aim is to ensure that, should certain populations disappear in the wild, their genetic legacy can be conserved for future restoration. Coral cryopreservation is a difficult process needing exact timing and methods. Scholars gather coral gametes—eggs and sperm—from many species during huge spawning episodes. These are then meticulously handled in a lab to eliminate extra water and treated with cryoprotectants to stop ice crystals from developing during freezing. Usually around -196°C (-320.8°F), the samples are then progressively chilled to ultra-low temperatures using liquid nitrogen. All biological activities essentially cease at this temperature, which lets the genetic material be kept indefinitely. Effective thawing and resurrection of the preserved samples presents one of the difficulties in coral cryopreservation. Scientists are always honing methods to raise post-thaw viability and fertilising rates. Either by means of assisted reproduction technologies or by adding genetic diversity into current populations, the ultimate aim is to be able to replicate varied coral populations using these stored genetic components. This strategy offers important research chances for investigating coral genetics and reproduction in addition to acting as a protection against species extinction.