Project title: Establishing the Global Coral Cryopreservation Network

Project lead: Dr. Mary Hagedorn

Co-applicants: Dr. María Victoria Grosso-Becerra, Dr. Harvey Blackburn, Dr. John Bischof, Dr. Pierre Comizzoli, Nikolas Zuchowicz, Dr. Kristen Marhaver, Dr. Anastasia Banaszak, Dr. Jonathan Daly, Keri O’Neil

Countries involved: Mexico, Curaçao, Australia, United States of America

Takes place: Puerto Morelos (Mexico), Willemstad (Curaçao), New South Wales (Australia), Florida (USA), Washington, D.C. (USA), Oahu (Hawaiʻi, USA)

Supporting institutions: Smithsonian Institution, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, United States Department of Agriculture, University of Minnesota, Multiplier, CARMABI Foundation, Taronga Conservation Society, The Florida Aquarium

Total budget: USD $1,499,922.00

Duration: 24 months

Project overview

Coral reefs are under threat globally, with reef-building coral populations declining in both numbers and genetic diversity. Scientists are developing various techniques to ensure that coral genetic diversity is preserved and remains viable for future reef restoration projects. Coral larval propagation and assisted gene flow — moving corals or their gametes between populations to stir the genetic soup — are two of those techniques. Another key approach is cryopreservation. In vitro fertilization and cryopreservation techniques used in human fertility clinics can be adapted and applied on other species, such as corals. Frozen coral sperm, embryos and larvae can be stored for decades. Frozen corals can later be successfully defrosted, ensuring that coral species can be reintroduced or reinforced when environmental conditions improve, representing a critical backup plan to restore reefs in the future. Deep-freezing corals may not only secure the future of their biodiversity, but also offer a lifeline for global research, conservation, and restoration efforts for years to come.

The goal of this project is to establish a global network of cryopreservation hubs, expanding frozen coral collections using cutting-edge methods, and creating multilingual training resources to make these techniques widely accessible.

Specific objectives

1. Build core infrastructure for the Global Coral Cryopreservation Network: equip five regional nodes as biobanking and training centers.
2. Optimize and implement larval cryopreservation across network nodes: refine and apply protocols for multiple coral species to ensure freezing, storage, thawing, and propagation.
3. Develop an online cryopreservation training platform: create multilingual video courses and downloadable resources.
4. Unify coral biorepository data systems: integrate existing systems to establish a global database for managing coral biorepository data.
5. Conduct in-person cryopreservation training: train new practitioners in local coral breeding and conservation.

How the objectives will be met

To successfully accomplish the proposed objectives, the project will establish five regional “coral fertility clinic” nodes, each serving as:

• Biorepositories to store cryopreserved coral sperm and larvae from local and regional sources.
• Research hubs for advancing coral cryopreservation, thawing, propagation, and repository management best practices.
• Training centers to disseminate techniques through online and in-person instruction.

Impact of the project

This project will create a globally connected coral cryopreservation network, with five biobanking nodes serving major reef regions: Hawaii, Florida, Curaçao, Mexico, and Australia. By establishing standardized methods for coral larval and sperm cryopreservation and an accessible training platform, this project will further bridge the gap between cryopreservation theory and practical application in reef restoration.

Major highlights

• Establishing five international biobanking cryopreservation nodes for coral conservation.
• Standardizing experimental techniques on coral larvae and sperm cryopreservation.
• Developing a multilingual online training system to scale global coral cryopreservation capacity.
• Establishing a centralized coral biorepository database.
• Training practitioners in larval and sperm cryopreservation at dedicated workshops.

In 2024:

✅ Provided hands-on training on coral larval cryopreservation.
✅ Began development of a virtual training module.
✅ Drafted a scientific article on project findings.
✅ Successfully cryopreserved, thawed, and settled Dendrogyra cylindrus coral larvae.

To learn more about this project, watch the episode 10 of our web series.