GEL DEVELOPED BY SCIENTISTS NOW BOOTS CORAL REEF SETTLEMENTS BY 20 TIMES
Coral larvae can be selective about where they connect and settle, according to researchers at UC San Diego. However, specific compounds linked to healthy reefs can influence the larvae's path. When larvae locate these chemicals, they will "smell" their way there and choose to attach themselves to the corresponding region. That same group of UC researchers has created a novel gel with nanoparticles that gradually releases some of the preferred "smells" of coral larvae in an attempt to stop reef deterioration.
In lab trials, the researchers put the gel, known as SNAP-X, on surfaces and discovered that it increased coral larvae settling by up to 20 times when compared to untreated surfaces. These findings, which were recently published in Trends in Biotechnology, appear to point to SNAP-X as a novel approach to coral habitat restoration. Notably, the gel may produce compounds that attract coral for up to a month and serve as a covering, demonstrating its longevity.
According to Daniel Wangpraseurt, the study's principal author, "Corals are animals, and their larvae are choosy about where they are going to attach because once they do, they're trapped there. With SNAP-X, we created a material that releases chemical cues that tell larvae this is a good place to live.”
About 25% of all known marine species live in coral reefs, which make up less than 1% of the ocean floor but offer food, shelter, and a complex ecology. However, climate change is having a significant impact on these "rainforests of the sea." According to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, 14% of corals have already vanished since 2009. According to a 2018 special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a 2.7°F increase in average global air temperatures over pre-industrial levels will result in a 70% to 90% reduction in coral reefs. The corals would drop by an astounding 99% at 3.6°F.
This discovery provides a potential ray of optimism at a time when coral reefs are facing extreme uncertainty. The pickiness of coral larvae, which would not readily settle on damaged reefs or attach to man-made structures, was a significant obstacle that scientists had to overcome in the past. Because they were "genetically similar," corals cultivated in nurseries presented additional challenges. According to Wangpraseurt, "a disease epidemic or warming catastrophe has the potential to wipe out the entire population." "Natural coral recruitment is ideal since it can increase the population's resilience and add genetic variety."
By using SNAP-X, a material that provided the larvae with the required chemical cues over an extended period of time, Wangpraseurt and his lab at UC San Diego hoped to overcome these difficulties. The postdoctoral researcher who collaborated with Wangpraseurt on the project, Samapti Kundu, added, "These chemical cues evaporate very fast if you just toss them in the ocean, making it challenging for coral larvae to discover their source." "We needed to create a medicine delivery method that would distribute these settlement cues in the ocean gradually, akin to an extended release system."
However, what is the precise process for creating such a system? "Encapsulating chemical compounds derived from crustose coralline algae in nanoparticles made of silica" is the team's solution. These nanoparticles are then suspended in a liquid gel that, when subjected to UV radiation, will harden "like Jell-O." For durability, the team may paint or spray this material onto a surface and then cure it with UV radiation.
According to Wangpraseurt, "we sometimes forget that coral reefs are one of the best structures in preserving our coasts." "This material, in my opinion, is a breakthrough that could significantly aid in coral rehabilitation."