Scientists freeze Great Barrier Reef coral in world-first trial

• Scientists working on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have successfully trialled a new method for freezing and storing coral larvae they say could eventually help rewild reefs threatened by climate change.
• The Great Barrier Reef has suffered four bleaching events in the last seven years, including the first ever bleach during a La Nina phenomenon, which typically brings cooler temperatures.

Method of preserving corals

• Stored cryogenically: frozen coral can be stored & later reintroduced to wild but current process requires sophisticated equipment including lasers.
• New lightweight “cryomesh”: to freeze coral larvae at the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences (AIMS).
• Programme: a part of the Reef restoration and adaptation programme.

Benefits of mesh technology

• Will help store coral larvae at -196°C (-320.8°F).
• Will allow us to store coral larvae at a scale that can actually help to support some of the aquaculture and restoration interventions.