Bar-Ilan scientists have discovered that transplanting healthy reef communities can significantly improve the health of degraded coral reefs.
The research team designed biomimetic terracotta tiles that replicate the complex three-dimensional topography of natural coral reefs. These tiles served as hosts for a diverse community of organisms, including beneficial invertebrates and microorganisms, which were left to develop over six months on a healthy reef.
In a carefully orchestrated experiment, these tiles, rich with thriving organisms, were transferred to a degraded reef site six kilometres away in the Gulf of Eilat. Corals from the degraded site were then attached to these tiles. To validate their findings, the scientists conducted a reciprocal experiment, moving tiles with substrate from the degraded area to the healthy reef site.
After six months, the results were striking. Corals attached to tiles containing the healthy reef community showed significant improvements in their health markers. The scientists observed enhanced photosynthetic efficiency throughout the coral colonies, along with notably increased populations of symbiotic algae. Perhaps most importantly, the corals showed markedly reduced stress levels compared to their original state. The contrast between corals growing on healthy versus degraded substrate was stark, demonstrating the clear positive impact of the healthy reef ecosystem transplant.
This pioneering study represents a significant step forward in coral conservation, offering a practical, ecological, and sustainable solution to address the ongoing crisis threatening the world’s coral reefs.
