Recently, scientists working on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef successfully tested a new method for freezing and storing coral larvae. This new method could eventually help rewild reefs threatened by climate change.
Corals are marine invertebrates or animals not possessing a spine. They share a symbiotic relationship with single-celled algae called zooxanthellae.
Significance
Cryogenically frozen coral can be stored and later reintroduced to the wild but the current process requires sophisticated equipment including lasers.
The new lightweight cryomesh can be manufactured cheaply and better preserves coral.
About Cryomesh
In the recent lab trial, the world's first with Great Barrier Reef coral, scientists used the cryomesh to freeze coral larvae at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
Cryomesh was devised by a team from the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering.
The mesh technology will help store coral larvae at -196°C (-320.8°F).
