Several news stories at the end of 2016 raised concerns about coral-bleaching and global warming negatively impacting coral reefs across the globe, particularly Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
National Science Foundation researchers are now investigating the reef to protect it against climate change in the future, particularly El Niño, which causes unusually warm waters. The key is understanding the microbiome of the reef—or what lies within the coral—that protects it.
“The coral microbiome is all the microscopic critters living in and on the coral animal,” said Monica Medina, an NSF-funded marine biologist at Pennsylvania State University. Medina is studying the coral alongside fellow Penn State researcher F. Joseph Pollock and Oregon State University microbiologists Ryan McMinds and Rebecca Vega Thurber.
For example, coral provides algae with a protective environment, and algae supplies coral with sugar generated through photosynthesis. In addition, some bacteria produce antibiotics that defend against pathogens.
“This only scratches the surface of the coral microbiome, which contains an astonishing diversity of microorganisms,” Medina said. “Without their microbiomes, corals could not persist.”
Understanding the microbiomes will help Medina and colleagues figure out how to help corals in the future. The research could help human health, too.
“Many treatments in development for diseases such as cancer are derived from the microbes associated with marine invertebrates,” Medina said.
Now that’s something we can get behind. Check out these vibrant reef images to see coral the way these scientists do.
Carolyn Crist is a freelance health and science journalist for regional and national publications. She writes the Escape Artist column for Paste Travel, On the Mind column for Paste Science and Stress Test column for Paste Health.
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Lizard Island, located in Australia's Northern Great Barrier Reef, houses world-class research facilities for marine scientists around the globe to study coral. The Lizard Island Research Center is near some of the world's most pristine and untouched reefs.
F. Joseph Pollock, Penn State University
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Lord Howe Island, located in Australia, houses the southernmost barrier coral reef in the world. NSF researchers are studying coral here, too.
F. Joseph Pollock, Penn State University
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Are you jealous? Pennsylvania State University marine biologists Monica Medina and F. Joseph Pollock get to dive to collect coral samples for their research. They provided samples from this dive to the Global Coral Microbiome Project.
F. Joseph Pollock, Penn State University
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At Lord Howe Island, NSF researchers saw these vibrant butterflyfish and Acroporid corals during dives throughout 2016.
F. Joseph Pollock, Penn State University
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At Lizard Island, the researchers found these bright blue Acroporid coral as well during dives in 2016.
Ryan McMinds, Oregon State University
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NSF researchers are looking for polyps like these to study. These dome-shaped colonies, pictured here on the Diploastrea heliopor coral, can grow up to 16 feet wide.
Ryan McMinds, Oregon State University
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On Lizard Island, black band disease grows on a brain coral. This is one of several diseases that affect coral in the Great Barrier Reef, likely due to overfishing, pollution and climate change that make coral susceptible to disease.
Ryan McMinds, Oregon State University
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Oregon State University microbiologist Rebecca Vega Thurber looked for signs of coral health and destruction, such as black band disease. She collected samples on this dive for the Global Coral Microbiome Project.
Ryan McMinds, Oregon State University
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With Thurber, Oregon State University PhD student Ryan McMinds collected samples for the Global Coral Microbiome Project in 2016. On shore, the scientists separate the coral and microbes to determine how coral health and relationships work.
Ryan McMinds, Oregon State University