MELBOURNE: Researchers have found a solution to reduce coral bleaching by genetically engineering the micro-algae found in corals, enhancing their stress tolerance to ocean warming. <\/p>\n
These micro-algae are called Symbiodinium, a genus of primary producers found in corals that are essential for reef health and, thereby, critical to ocean productivity, said researchers from University of New South Wales in Australia. <\/p>\n
Symbiodinium photosynthesise to produce molecules that feed the corals, which is necessary for corals to grow and form coral reefs. <\/p>\n
Coral bleaching is caused by changes in ocean temperatures which harm Symbiodinium, leading corals to lose their symbiotic Symbiodinium and therefore starve to death. <\/p>\n
Different species of Symbiodinium have large genetic variation and diverse thermal tolerances which effect the bleaching tolerance of corals. <\/p>\n
The researchers used sequencing data from Symbiodinium to design genetic engineering strategies for enhancing stress tolerance of Symbiodinium, which may reduce coral bleaching due to rising ocean temperatures. <\/p>\n
\"Very little is known about Symbiodinium, thus very little information is available to improve coral reef conservation efforts,\" said Rachel Levin from The University of New South Wales, Australia. <\/p>\n
\"Symbiodinium is very biologically unusual, which has made it incompatible with well-established genetic engineering methods,\" said Levin. <\/p>\n
\"We therefore aimed to overcome this roadblock by conducting novel genetic analyses of Symbiodinium to enable much needed research progress,\" she said. <\/p>\n
The researchers have now highlighted key Symbiodinium genes that could be targeted to prevent coral bleaching. <\/p>\n
\"We have developed the first, tailored genetic engineering framework to be applied to Symbiodinium. Now this framework must be comprehensively tested and optimised. This is a tall order that will be greatly benefited by collaborative efforts,\" researchers said. <\/p>\n
\"Symbiodinium that have been genetically enhanced to maintain their symbiosis with corals under rising ocean temperatures has great potential to reduce coral bleaching globally,\" they said. <\/p>\n
\"If lab experiments successfully show that genetically engineered Symbiodinium can prevent coral bleaching, these enhanced Symbiodinium would not be immediately released onto coral reefs,\" Levin added.<\/p>\n
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\n'Superalgae' to protect world's corals from bleaching - Economic Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"