Microbial Monitoring in Reef Waters Offers Accessible Tool for Ecosystem Management

This Artificial Jelly Smells Like Home to Coral — And Helps Them Settle In

Learn more about SNAP-X — an bio-inspired gel mimicking the scent of healthy reefs to support coral reef restoration.

Microbial monitoring in reef waters offers accessible tool for ecosystem management

Corals everywhere on the planet live in harmony with microscopic organisms. Many corals get their vivid colors from microscopic algae which lives inside the corals' tissue and provides the coral with food. Even in the water surrounding coral reefs, there is a microscopic soup of bacteria, archaea, and other types of microbes that respond to changes in the habitat and can indicate whether or not the coral reef is healthy.

USF’s Keys Marine Lab Welcomes 1,050 Coral Babies to Help Restore Florida’s Reef

By Sarah Sell, University Communications and Marketing Florida’s Coral Reef experienced significant damage during a mass bleaching event in 2023, but recovery efforts are underway to restore this vital ecosystem. On May 7, nearly 1,050 coral babies spawned and raised at The Florida Aquarium were delivered to Keys Marine Laboratory (KML) in the Florida Keys. The lab is operated by […] The post USF’s Keys Marine Lab Welcomes 1,050 Coral Babies to …

UC San Diego scientists develop gel to attract baby coral, encourage reef growth

SNAP-X releases scents that attract larvae to help sustain coral reefs in the ocean, according to UCSD’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Coral Reef Production is Boosted by 20 Times With Special Ink From Pink Algae That Attracts Colonies

Endangered coral reefs could be saved by a special ‘ink’, according to new research. The bio-ink coating, called SNAP-X, was engineered by University of California scientists to help promote coral larvae settlement and restore threatened underwater ecosystems. The new study, published in the journal Trends in Biotechnology, shows that the coating derived from algae could […] The post Coral Reef Production is Boosted by 20 Times With Special Ink …

An ink that boosts coral reef settlement by 20 times

With coral reefs in crisis due to climate change, scientists have engineered a bio-ink that could help promote coral larvae settlement and restore these underwater ecosystems before it's too late. Researchers demonstrate that the ink could boost coral settlement by more than 20 times, which they hope could contribute to rebuilding coral reefs around the world.