Scientists have developed a new novel technique to identify heat-stressed corals. A new approach found by researchers could be beneficial to marine biologists. This information can help scientists identify and diagnose coral species that are most vulnerable to global warming and protect them from climate change and its effects.
The study, led by Rutgers, was published in the journal Science Advancement in January to help environmentalists protect their targeted oceans.
Debashis Battacharya, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the New Brunswick Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, said in a press release that it was like a blood test to assess human health.
The senior author commented that coral health could be assessed by measuring the amount of metabolites they produce. Warm water causes whitening of coral, which is a global ecological disaster. Sensitive diagnostic indicators should be developed to ensure the health of the stones. It provides pre-protection work and helps to monitor the health of the rocks before the significant stage of bleaching.
Coral rocks provide a living environment that supports the biodiversity of the ocean and anchors the food chain and ecosystem. In addition, coral reefs are very important for the world’s most important fish reserves. Coral rocks prevent flooding, storms and corrosion on the coast. Threats to warm coral reefs include whitening coral and disease, rising sea levels, intolerable fishing, more acidic oceans, shipwrecks, marine debris, invasive species, and tropical storms.
For a new study, researchers examined how stone coral in Hawaii react to heat stress, with the aim of recording metabolic or chemical and stress indicators. The metabolites produced were analyzed and compared to other corals that were not exposed to heat stress. Cultivating algae leave coral homes when the water temperature is too high and run away. Corals are dyed from algae that form interactions with them. Therefore, when algae leave the residual bone space, corals easily lose color. This causes a white appearance, the disappearance of the hidden rocks and the phenomenon we know as coral bleaching.
Recent experiments in the lab have focused on heat-resistant as well as heat-sensitive coral species, which have revealed that they respond to heat stress by producing unique metabolites. The research team is now busy verifying the results of their coral diagnosis and developing a “coral hospital” with a new laboratory on the chip, which can monitor coral health in a timely manner.
