​

​

      This white display is a result of coral bleaching, a response exacerbated by warming waters that today threatens reefs around the globe. The first global coral bleaching event was in 1998, caused by a strong El Niño. This event was followed by another in 2010, and a third from 2014 to 2017. The 2014–2017 event was the longest, most widespread, and damaging bleaching event on record, when rising ocean temperatures followed by a sudden influx of warm El Niño waters particularly traumatized the Great Barrier Reef (Smithsonian, Frishkorn). These bleaching events continue today and have served as a wake-up call to scientists in Australia, the U.S., the Pacific, and many other regions. Coral reefs have been increasingly frequented by these heat events amongst other natural and anthropogenic stressors. The result is rapid decline in coral diversity around the globe, and a result, a decline in the biodiversity of the reefs, a multitutde of keystone species, the surrounding ecosystems, and economies which permeate from the reefs. Solutions, are needed now more than ever.

 

Each scientist approaching the issue has different techniques in mind and ways they go about their research, but the main goal here is to make corals resilient to rising water temperatures. Ultimately this is an attempt to save the precious life form which hosts the most biologically diverse life in the ocean. With these new enhanced coral genes, scientists may be able to repopulate the oceans in the future with a hardier coral.
 

The term “GMO” generally has a very negative connotation because of large food corporations such as Monsanto and DuPont. This association should not be related to the topic of genetically modified corals. Larger corporations have been engineering crops to an extreme degree, and ultimately putting the entire nature of crops and their consumers at risk. In contrast, modified coral reef projects pursue the latest scientific research in light of making corals more suitable to live in their changing environment. There is an overall belief system amongst these select biologists, which is realizing that we as a society have created this environment for the coral to thrive in, and it is now our obligation to protect the species which we have endangered.

 

This technique of physically altering the genetic code of any organism is likely to stir up controversial waters, so it is important to explain the process. Modifications with corals do not involve producing or introducing new species of any of corals being more resilient to rising water temperatures. It is very important to differentiate the agenda between modified corals, and that of Monsanto's GMO crops. The largest underlying ordeal is the human consumption of engineered crops by these sort of corporations. In fact there has only been one study conducted showing how these modified crops affect humans. This sounds kind of shocking, right? GM genes of Monsanto's crops are engineered to be susceptible to their large dosings of herbicides, such as Round Up (Butterbeleiver, Benfit). In this study, Monsanto’s human test subjects ate Roundup Ready soy- they found that this gene, which works to fight herbicides, actually transferred into the person's gut in bacterial form. This messed with their immune system, allowing bad bacteria to take over and leaked toxins into the bloodstream. This is obviously nothing you want to mess with, and certainly is not what the coral researchers have on their agenda when bringing in stressed corals to their lab. So it is most important to differentiate between GMO Corals, and industrialized GMO crops.

​

“Like a terrible disease [in] humans, when people realize how dire the situation is becoming researchers start trying to propose much more,” Says Levin, a molecular biologist who proposed an interesting blueprint for genetically engineering a super coral. Still, not many are interested in partaking in risky sciences as this (Smithsonian).

 

Corals are not capable of evolving fast enough to keep up with the changing waters. There is so much more work required to release the engineered coral back into the ocean. Right now it seems to be the very start of something wonderful and beneficial towards our oceans. Levin uses a disease to penetrate the genome

 

“When we’re talking ‘genetically engineered,’ we’re not significantly altering these species,” she says. “We’re not making hugely mutant things. All we’re trying to do is give them an extra copy of a gene they already have to help them out ... we’re not trying to be crazy scientists.”
 

From the National Reporting Team, George Roberts writes on behalf of eight lead scientist teams, all searching for “Super Corals”- Seeking out corals which have survived the past decade of bleaching in order to establish the hardiest genetic code amongst corals. Charlie Veron is part of this team, he has identified over 20 percent of the world's coral species and is known as the “Godfather of Coral” (ABC News, Roberts).

 

Dr. Veron has been watching corals degrade over the past decade. The predictions scientists made years ago are all coming true now, it is like a unlikely horror story come to life.

 

"So that's a horrible thing for us, because we wished we were wrong — but so far, we haven't been." Says Dr. Veron. It is in fact the numerous bleaching events that have taken place over the past 2 years that have really made an impact on the depletion of the Great Barrier Reefs (Roberts). Charlies efforts involve a scientist collaboration local to Australia, drawing in interests of many scientists across the globe. They had set out on a voyage together during the same day to answer each of their own questions regarding corals endangerment. This is quite an incredible strategy of research, one that most scientists would not think to do. However since this is such a worldwide epidemic, it seemed to have lured in the interest of many like-minded biologists.

 

Marine biologist Taylor Simpkins whom is working alongside Charlies team is focusing on the algae in which give coral their color. "This is what gives them most of their energy [and] a lot of their food through photosynthesis," Ms Simpkins said. This is a very temperature sensitive process, which if the waters get to warm, the symbiotic algae that lives on corals will simply get up and leave due to prolonged stress.

 

Increasing water temperatures harm a necessary algae living symbiotically with corals, it is known as Symbiodinium, it benefits the coral by processing it’s nutrients (Science Daily, Frontiers).  Their loss in color is due to stress, and when the symbiotic relationship with the algae living on them leaves, it takes the beautiful coloration with them.  Though the purpose of saving the reef is to benefit the corals survival and prevent total extinction, corals also sustain life of our own population, as they provide over US $30 billion to the world economy every year and directly support over 500 million people (Frontiers).

 

"Very little is known about Symbiodinium, thus very little information is available to improve coral reef conservation efforts. Symbiodinium is very biologically unusual, which has made it incompatible with well-established genetic engineering methods. We therefore aimed to overcome this roadblock by conducting novel genetic analyses of Symbiodinium to enable much needed research progress" explains Dr Rachel Levin from the University of New South Wales, Australia, on the difficulties of studying these microalgae (Frontiers).  Dr Levin warns that there is no miracle cure, "If lab experiments successfully show that they can prevent coral bleaching, these enhanced Symbiodinium would not be immediately released onto coral reefs. Extensive, rigorous studies evaluating any potentially negative impacts would be absolutely necessary before any field-based trials on this technology begin".

 

Australian scientist Dr Line Bay has yet another method to look at reviving coral species that involves genetic engineering. Some corals breed by giving off their Spawn, basically, it is a special little coral seed that drifts through the ocean until it finds a female to land on and grow in her egg. (ABC News. Abraham). This event happens twice a year, and their research team is more than ready when the event takes place. With their own large assemblage of scientist, their goal is similar to Dr Verons “Super Coral” team. They are taking the research a step farther. Looking at how they can improve any captured species under simulations Getting a better look at corals tolerance to rising temperatures, salinity, and pH.. While they cannot make absolute predictions of the future, they can say that the stress conditions will only worsen.

 

The Great Barrier Reef contributes over $6.4 billion dollars to the Australian economy, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Chief Executive Mr Hardesty says corals are much more valuable than this. There is a danger in doing nothing, so it is important to focus on the current research being conducted concerning the health of  our corals, time is being cut short for these budding strategies, the best we can do is to at least be informed of these biologists’ methods and their positive intentions.

 

Works Cited

• Frischkorn, Kyle. “A Blueprint for Genetically Engineering a Super Coral.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 3 Aug. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/blueprint-engineering-super-coral-180964309/#y11sKBRV2cYpOwgj.9

 

• Benfit, Emily. “Monsantos GMOs Alter DNA of Bacteria to Produce Pesticides in your Gut.” Butter Believer, 8 Dec. 2012, butterbeliever.com/monsantos-gmos-alter-dna-of-bacteria-to-produce-pesticides-in-your-gut/.

 

• Abraham, Rhea. “'Christmas could come twice' for scientists studying coral spawning.” ABC News, 9 Nov. 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-10/researchers-race-to-capture-coral-spawn-to-boost-reef-resilience/9135164

 

• “A super-Algae to save our seas? Genetic engineering species to save corals.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 20 July 2017, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720095111.htm.

 

• the National Reporting Team's George Roberts. “'Crack team' kicks off 'pivotal' mission to save Great Barrier Reef.” ABC News, 14 Nov. 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-15/major-research-mission-to-save-great-barrier-reef-kicks-off/9150970.

 

• Ken Anthony Principal Research Scientist, et al. “The Great Barrier Reef can repair itself, with a little help from science.” The Conversation, 9 Mar. 2018, theconversation.com/the-great-barrier-reef-can-repair-itself-with-a-little-help-from-science-85182.

 

• Rafferty, Sally. “Scientists take unusual step to study Barrier Reef coral.” ABC News, 24 Nov. 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-24/scientists-fly-coral-and-seawater-to-north-qld/9191104

 

• Chettle, Nicole. “Transplanting coral could be key to regenerating 'battered' Great Barrier Reef.” ABC News, 26 Nov. 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-26/scientists-discover-game-changer-for-great-barrier-reef/9190200

 

• SeaSim. “SeaSim (@SeaSim_AIMS).” Twitter, Twitter, 9 Aug. 2017, twitter.com/SeaSim_AIMS

 

• Bruce White from Northeast Australia. This professor exchanges emails with me regularly providing the newest local information on the GBR.