University of Technology Sydney researchers win $2.1 million grant to boost coral resilience.
Dr Emma Camp is Chief Investigator on the project which will customise a coral nutritional supplement to increase resilience of tropical and cold-water corals during restoration and periods of heat stress. Photo by Andy Roberts.
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) researchers have been awarded a new grant from the 2022 Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) which aims to boost coral resilience through nutritional supplements.
The project involves Dr Emma Camp, who will serve as Chief Investigator, Distinguished Professor Philip Doble, and Dr Jennifer Matthews.
The UTS team will work with industry partner Monsoon Aquatics, Australia’s largest aquaculture facility, as well as university partners in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Monaco.
“We aim to customise a coral nutritional supplement, ‘CoraBoost’, to increase resilience of tropical and cold-water corals during restoration and periods of heat stress,” said Dr Emma Camp, Team Leader, Future Reefs Program of the Climate Change Cluster in the UTS Faculty of Science.
“Corals, like humans, need balanced vitamins and mineral levels to thrive, particularly when they’re under stress. Because corals are typically found in low nutrient waters, ‘CoraBoost’ will help improve the health of reefs by improving the quality and quantity of nutrients in their habitats.”
CORDAP is a G20 initiative created to fast-track research and development solutions to save the world’s corals. It is the only international organization fully dedicated to funding research and development in this area.
Two-thirds of the world’s coral reefs have already been lost due to human activity and 70-90% of the remaining coral reefs could disappear in the next 10-15 years if no actions are taken. One in four marine species depend on coral reefs, and they provide food, income and coastal protection for one billion people. The estimated global economic value of coral reefs is nearly US$10 trillion per year through ecosystem services and goods.
“Corals are the rainforests of the ocean, yet they are at risk of functional extinction in the next decade without urgent action. For the first time, an entire ecosystem that supports millions of species and people may be lost at the hands of humans.
“CORDAP was set up because accelerating research and innovation is our chance to save corals. The window for protecting these ecosystems is rapidly closing. However, the awardees of the inaugural Coral Accelerator Platform have shown that there is still hope,” said Carlos Duarte, a distinguished Professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Executive Director of CORDAP.