In a groundbreaking development, researchers report in Nature Communications that small colonies of mature corals have been successfully frozen and revived. However, further efforts are required to ensure their long-term survival. This cryopreservation technique could potentially save corals from extinction caused by the warming and acidification of the oceans due to human-induced climate change (SN: 8/9/23).
As collecting coral larvae becomes increasingly challenging, cryopreserving mature coral colonies, which are available year-round, offers a potential solution. If climate warming can be reversed, preserved adult corals could aid in the restoration of reef ecosystems in more favorable ocean conditions. However, cryopreserving larger specimens is more difficult as preventing ice formation, which can damage tissues similar to pipes cracking in winter, becomes more challenging.
Thermodynamicist Matthew Powell-Palm and his team from Texas A&M University in College Station conducted experiments with pea-sized fragments of a common Hawaiian finger coral called Porites compressa. The researchers first eliminated microbes that could interfere with preservation using menthol and light. Then, the fragments were sealed in rigid metal chambers filled with a special chemical solution that partially dehydrated the corals and helped control ice growth. Subsequently, they were immersed in liquid nitrogen.
Exposed to temperatures around -200°C, surrounded by chemicals, and confined by the sturdy chamber walls, the remaining water in the corals solidified into a glassy state, or vitrified, without forming ice crystals. At such extremely cold conditions, metabolic reactions and other life-sustaining processes slow down significantly, allowing for the potential preservation of living specimens for hundreds, or even thousands, of years, according to Powell-Palm.
2023-09-05 06:00:00
Link from www.sciencenews.org