Researchers want to revive failing reefs by transplanting healthy coral as the health of coral reefs continues to deteriorate due to the stress of climate change.
Unfortunately, they've had mixed results, with some transplanted coral dying and others taking root and flourishing.
Until today, it was unknown why some transplanted coral, known as "outplants," thrived while others struggled or died.
A new study headed by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences academics and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows the secret to effective coral transplanting.
Transplants can save dying coral reefs
(Photo : Lukasz Larsson Warzecha/Getty Images)
According to 2021 research, the Earth has lost half of its coral reefs since 1950, as per ScienceDaily.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, reef ecosystems serve a billion people and provide $3.4 billion in revenue for the US economy through sectors such as fishing and tourism.
Kenkel's transplant study focuses on Acropora cervicornis, a critically endangered Caribbean staghorn coral.
Previously, scientists utilized different individual staghorn corals at different transplant sites and discovered that some outplants survived better in some areas than others.
However, because they utilized different corals at different places, they were unable to pinpoint the source of success or failure.
Kenkel and Wyatt Million, a former PhD student in Kenkel's lab at USC Dornsife and the first author of the work, decreased the number of variables involved to identify the solution.
They implanted clones of just ten staghorn individuals at nine well-known reef areas in the Florida Keys.
They then tracked the survival, growth, form, and size of the outplants at each location.
They discovered that both the coral and the environment were important. Each location saw a distinct clone stand forward and adjust for success; no one clone proved robust across all settings.
Scientists will also want to focus on how adaptable individual corals are to different settings, which means how much an individual may vary its form, size, and other features in response to changing environmental circumstances on the reef.
As climate change continues, this "plasticity" may alter the long-term success of outplants across many generations.
"We discovered that certain corals were more plastic than others, and the most plastic coral were really the ones who fared the best on average," Kenkel added.
However, study first author Wyatt Million, who was a Ph.D. student in Kenkel's lab before becoming a postdoc at Germany's Justus Liebig University Giessen, warns that coral plasticity isn't a replacement for addressing climate change at its core causes.
They'll also look at how coral plasticity affects the overall operation of the reef, as well as what happens at the cellular and molecular level to allow the coral to develop, which Million finds particularly intriguing.
Also Read: Scientists are Weeding Coral Reefs to Help Lessen the Impacts of Climate Change
What You Can Do to Help Protect Coral Reefs
Coral reefs can be harmed by marine garbage. Recycle your rubbish (particularly plastic) at home and on the move, and remember the three R's (reduce, reuse, and recycle), as per EPA.
To minimize waste being blown or washed into streams and seas, dispose of rubbish properly in containers.
Make careful to leave no garbage on the beach, and never throw or leave cigarette butts in the sand.
Volunteering to pick up garbage in your town can help keep local rivers and streams clean.
Check with your local environmental organizations for yearly garbage pick-ups, and keep an eye out for the International Coastal Cleanup.
Overuse of fertilizers on lawns degrades water quality because fertilizer nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) get carried into streams and eventually end up in the seas.
These nutrients contaminate the water and have the potential to destroy coral reefs.
Instead of driving, consider walking, biking, or taking public transportation (such as buses and trains) more regularly.
If you're in the market for a new automobile, consider a hybrid or electric vehicle.
Using these greener modes of transportation can help reduce the number of greenhouse gases discharged into the environment.
These emissions lead to ocean acidification and rising sea levels. Warmer ocean temperatures inhibit coral development, whereas acidic ocean conditions induce coral bleaching.
Related article: Strange Fish Songs Reveal That Indonesia's Coral Reefs Are Rapidly Recovering
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