08-08-2025
PH to establish first coral larvae cryobank facility
The UP Marine Science Institute (MSI) on Thursday said it is establishing a coral larvae cryobank facility, a first in the Philippines, to boost restoration efforts amid increasing threats from climate change and human activity.
It is expected to be installed at the UP MSI Bolinao Marine Laboratory in Pangasinan.
'This is part of a groundbreaking regional effort to conserve coral reef biodiversity through cryopreservation. The project, entitled 'Coral Conservation Capacity Development in the Coral Triangle: A Cryorepository Network for Coral Larvae,' involves research institutions from the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to establish the first regional network of coral larval cryobanks in the Coral Triangle,' the UP MSI said.
According to Dr. Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez, lead of the Philippine research team, the project is not just about preserving corals but also about 'building a foundation for future research and reef restoration that can benefit generations to come.'
The project is spearheaded by Dr. Chiahsin Lin of National Dong Hwa University and the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) in Taiwan and is supported by the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) through the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, Inc. (MERF).
The UP MSI said the project is currently focused on pocilloporid corals with a brooding reproductive strategy. Their larvae are gathered from hatchery-monitored colonies and preserved in liquid nitrogen for long-term storage and future use in coral restoration.
Considered weedy species, pocilloporid corals are among the first to colonize disturbed reefs due to their rapid growth and fast reproductive cycles and are thus valuable for accelerating reef recovery. However, they are sensitive to climate stress, especially coral bleaching, which brings a significant challenge to their long-term survival.
Lin and his students led a capacity-building training on cryopreservation at the UP MSI Bolinao Marine Laboratory last December 1 to 4, 2024. The training provided research assistants of the Interactions of Marine Bionts and Benthic Ecosystems Laboratory (IMBiBE) with essential knowledge and hands-on experience in cryopreservation techniques like vitrification and cryobanking.
A follow-up training was held in February 2025 at the NMMBA.
The project also seeks to adapt cryopreservation protocols for other coral species and further develop tools, including a fourth-generation laser-assisted warming device and cryojig system.
Ryan Carl De Juan, one of the research assistants at the IMBIBE laboratory, has begun collecting and monitoring brooding pocilloporid colonies, where initial trials in vitrification and banking resulted in the successful cryopreservation of early-stage coral larvae.
The team continues its monthly efforts to increase the number of cryopreserved larvae across various target coral species. —VBL, GMA Integrated News
