Breeding "supercorals"

[KaneMN]

I am a graduate student studying genetic engineering of mammalian cells. I’m also kinda curious as well if it is acceptable to genetic engineer coral to have heat/disease resistant traits. The only catch is no one has tried to genetic engineer any coral yet, so a lot of experiment needs to be done to see if we can actually genetically engineer them. I’d like to explore this field in hope to help restoring the reef, but not sure if people will be against to the idea like GMO plants and animals.

 

[KaneMN]

I am a graduate student in a genetic engineering field for mammalian cells to cure disease. I’m kinda curious if it is acceptable to genetic engineer coral to have heat/disease resistant traits. The only catch is no one has tried to genetic engineer any coral yet, so a lot of experiment needs to be done to see if we can actually do this. I’d like to explore this field in hope to help restoring the reef, but not sure if people will be against to the idea like GMO plants and animals.

 

[Hans-Werner]

There are experiments and scientific articles about heat resistant zooxanthellae, which seems the weak part in bleaching, and of good effects of special beneficial microorganims for corals (bacteria etc. that form a new part of the coral holobiont and make it more resistant).

 

[N.Sreefer]

I am a graduate student in a genetic engineering field for mammalian cells to cure disease. I’m kinda curious if it is acceptable to genetic engineer coral to have heat/disease resistant traits. The only catch is no one has tried to genetic engineer any coral yet, so a lot of experiment needs to be done to see if we can actually do this. I’d like to explore this field in hope to help restoring the reef, but not sure if people will be against to the idea like GMO plants and animals.

Instead of taking the risks related to lab based gene manipulation and creating what are essentially new organisms that can outcompete existing ones I believe we must first look into the possibility of aquaculture and take advantage of epigenetics. This is just my opinion, based on whats happening in my field (horticulture) we seem to be going backwards not forwards.

Instead of selective breeding and developing new cultivars the old fashioned way we now have what can be an environmentally dangerous shortcut. Genetic engineering gives us a last resort option but I really do hope it never comes to that. Coral have survived many mass extinction events some of which were much worse than the current state of the anthropocene. I just hope we don't do more harm than good with our attempts to help.

 

[Timfish]

If you want more detailed information I'd suggest going to scholar.google.com and do multiple searches using combinations of the terms "Coral" with and with out any of these terms "sexual reproduction" "ex situ" "Red Sea" "aquaculture" "reproduction" "mariculture" "propagation". I would suggest starting with this search term "coral red sea aquaculture"

 

[KaneMN]

Instead of taking the risks related to lab based gene manipulation and creating what are essentially new organisms that can outcompete existing ones I believe we must first look into the possibility of aquaculture and take advantage of epigenetics. This is just my opinion, based on whats happening in my field (horticulture) we seem to be going backwards not forwards.

Instead of selective breeding and developing new cultivars the old fashioned way we now have what can be an environmentally dangerous shortcut. Genetic engineering gives us a last resort option but I really do hope it never comes to that. Coral have survived many mass extinction events some of which were much worse than the current state of the anthropocene. I just hope we don't do more harm than good with our attempts to help.

Thank you for your response. In my opinion cross breeding corals to have advantage traits will also outcompete the original corals that don’t have those traits. The alarmingly fast pace of climate change, we need to come up with some idea to catch up with this rapid trend before it’s too late. Genetic engineering is more like a shortcut to obtain those beneficial traits. Of course, at this point, genetic manipulations of anything is still relatively new, and we have lots to learn about it, but I just want to throw out this idea to be considered. As I mentioned, it is unlikely that I can get it running and I will get the results by tomorrow if people say “yes, let’s do genetic engineering.” I’m not sure if we can even do that. Lengthen and extensive research needs to be done to ensure it’s acceptable to public, safe and feasible.

 

[Yodeling]

Ive heard they discovered populations of more heat and ph resistant coral, are there any efforts underway to attempt to selectively breed more adaptable corals, engineer corals, or use other processes that can help protect them against acidification and heat? not for the hobby, but more to help protect reefs that are struggling

There was a NOVA episode last year I believe on this very topic. They were not only trying to breed them but cross-breed them with other coral species to make new generations of heat-resistant coral. They had a few setbacks though. Ruth Gates (R.I.P) was leading this study initially.

Edit: Here, I found the link:

 

[KaneMN]

There was a NOVA episode last year I believe on this very topic. They were not only trying to breed them but cross-breed them with other coral species to make new generations of heat-resistant coral. They had a few setbacks though. Ruth Gates (R.I.P) was leading this study initially.

Edit: Here, I found the link:

Yes I saw this one. Amazing docu. RIP Ruth, she contributed tons of knowledge to the field.

 

[KrisReef]

Thank you for your response. In my opinion cross breeding corals to have advantage traits will also outcompete the original corals that don’t have those traits. The alarmingly fast pace of climate change, we need to come up with some idea to catch up with this rapid trend before it’s too late. Genetic engineering is more like a shortcut to obtain those beneficial traits. Of course, at this point, genetic manipulations of anything is still relatively new, and we have lots to learn about it, but I just want to throw out this idea to be considered. As I mentioned, it is unlikely that I can get it running and I will get the results by tomorrow if people say “yes, let’s do genetic engineering.” I’m not sure if we can even do that. Lengthen and extensive research needs to be done to ensure it’s acceptable to public, safe and feasible.

You might get the genetics right for a particular attribute but the maricultural practices also add another degree of freedom in the multivariable model that will impact the final outcome. The risk isn't always the science as much as confounding challenges that arise when making the practical application. I have seen this in abalone farming.

http://bioinvasions.org/wp-content/uploads/2002-Abalone-Worm.pdf

A similar result from manipulation in our strawberry fields.

My mother used to make strawberry jam. We would go to the farms on the banks of the San Gabriel River in Downey and pick a lug of strawberries for a couple of dollars. We brought those home and carefully removed the tops and any attending pests (live worms!) and she turned those fresh processed berries into a delicate strawberry jam.

The farms are now closed and the new durable strawberry cultivars have been engineered (GO Aggies!) that can withstand traveling longer distances to market! They also increased the berry's size and looks so they would be more pleasing to the eye. These man-made improvements increased the value and the marketability of the strawberry crop and they claimed success. Most people seem to like these modern strawberrys but if you have ever tasted those older "unshippable" berries you might spit out the modern ones in disgust because the truth is that these market survivor berries are significantly inferior in taste and texture to the old cultivars.

While it is true that these new genetically modified strawberries allow more people to have access to good "fresh strawberries," I would argue that folks who have never had the original have been given canned mackerel to replace fresh caviar. I hope they are more careful if they must meddle in the reefs to save them.

 

[Ardeus]

Corals doomed even if global climate goals met: study

Coral reefs that anchor a quarter of marine wildlife and the livelihoods of more than half-a-billion people will most likely be wiped out even if global warming is capped within Paris climate goals,…

www.france24.com

 

[Ardeus]

Corals are preparing to ride out this mass extinction as they did the previous ones. Sure, all the shallow reefs will be gone soon, but the corals in the deep will colonize the shallows again once the conditions are appropriate.

Stony Corals Seem to Be Preparing for a Mass Extinction, Scientists Report - EcoWatch

Stony corals around the world are hunkering down into survival mode as they prepare for a mass extinction event. Scientists noticed behaviors that correspond to a survival response commensurate with how corals behaved during the last mass extinction 66 million years ago. The scientists looked at...

www.ecowatch.com

We just have to be patient, cause it can take a few million years.

 

[KonradTO]

Nice thread!
My PhD focuses basically on this but with endangered plants. It is really hard to tell how much more complex assisted gene flow and induced evolution is in coral reefs compared to something already quite complex as plants, so I can easily say that I am not prepared to give a meaningful answer.. The more you study such topics the more you feel that nature know better. But nevertheless I will try to contribute to the thread: in some cases we are fairly sure that entire populations (and species!!) will disappear because change is much faster than species generation time. They simply won't make it in time at adapting to new conditions, especially where colonies are already in poor conditions because of years of disturbance or negative effects of climate change.
Now, if you focus on few keystone species you can TRY to facilitate migrations between, for example, colonies which have been experiencing for generations lower ph and higher temperatures (for example corals living in tidal pools or around hydrothermal vents) and areas where climate change will impact soon.
If we consider the complexity of the whole ecosystem, the amount of species present, the unknown diversity (e.g. microfauna, microbes, unknown symbionts etc)..well.. We should have reduced emissions when the evidence of climate change was clear.

 

[KrisReef]

Repetitive history. How can history be written if the future hasn't happened to look back and record the past?