coral – BioQuakes

Diving into the Sea of Gene Editing

On April 17, 2024

Have you ever wondered why some people travel across the world just to go snorkeling or scuba diving? The answer is simple, Coral. Coral is one of the most beautiful organisms in the ocean. While coral is amazing, its looks are not all that it achieves. Coral is home to 25% of marine species while also feeding close to half a billion humans. Coral has such a huge impact on the world we live in, yet pollution and global warming are slowly taking out tons and tons of beautiful coral from our oceans. Although there are over 6,000 species of coral, we are going to narrow it down to just 1,500 and analyze the “stony corals” ability to build reef architectures.

Phillip Cleves is a scientist at Carnegie Melon who set out to use cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to reveal a gene that’s critical to stony corals’ ability to build their reef architectures. Cleves highlights the ecological significance of coral reefs, emphasizing their decline due to human-induced factors like carbon pollution. Carbon emissions lead to ocean warming, causing fatal bleaching events, and ocean acidification, hindering reef growth. This acidification is particularly detrimental to stony corals, as it affects their ability to form skeletons made of calcium carbonate. Understanding the genetic basis of coral skeleton formation is a key research area to address this issue.

You may be wondering, what is CRISPR? CRISPR is like a genetic toolbox that scientists can use to edit DNA. Imagine DNA as a big instruction book that tells our bodies how to work. Sometimes, there are mistakes in the instructions, like a typo in a recipe. CRISPR lets scientists find and fix these mistakes. They can cut out the wrong parts of the DNA and put in the right ones, like editing a sentence in a book. This helps researchers study how genes work and could one day help treat diseases by fixing genetic errors. Using CRISPR, Cleves and his team were able to identify a particular gene called SLC4y which is required for young coral to begin building. The protein it encodes is responsible for transporting bicarbonate across cellular membranes. Interestingly, SLC4γ is only present in stony corals, but not in their non-skeleton-forming relatives. Together, these results imply that stony corals used the novel gene, SLC4γ, to evolve skeleton formation.

Finally, in AP Biology, you learn about genetics, the study of how traits are passed down from parents to offspring through DNA. CRISPR technology is like a super-advanced tool that geneticists use to manipulate DNA. It’s kind of like having a magic eraser for genetic mistakes! CRISPR also brings up the potential for gene editing in humans although sometimes it is seen as unethical. What genes would you edit if you had the chance?

New Generation of Coral!

By walkabuffalo

On March 17, 2023

In Student Post

As global warming continues to increase the temperature of the atmosphere and water column across our planet, the coral populations in our oceans are decreasing. Normally, to survive, coral hosts microscopic algae in its structure, which provides the coral with the energy it needs to grow. The algae produce glucose through photosynthesis, which the corals use to survive and to build their skeletons. This coral then releases oxygen that the algae takes back in. The stability of this symbiotic relationship is critical to corals’ survival. When a coral loses these symbiotic algae due to increases in water temperature, it causes the coral to turn white, as the coral struggles to meet its energy needs, which can often prove fatal. This phenomenon is called “bleaching.”

Scientists studying coral bleaching have found evidence that some species of coral appear to be adapting to climate change and increasing their tolerance to warming ocean waters by changing the symbiotic algae communities they host. This allows the photosynthetic process to continue and provides them with the energy they need to live. This more resilient species of coral have been found in eastern tropical Pacific places such as Costa Rica, Mexico, and Colombia. These locations are projected to have higher coral cover through 2060. Pocillopora is one such species of coral and is an important genus found within the shallow coral reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
I selected this article for my blog as it embodies several key biological concepts that we have studied and discussed in detail in class this year. These include the photosynthetic process and its important energy-producing biochemical reactions, the various types of successful symbiotic relationships between different organisms, and the role that DNA and genetics play in the evolutionary process of advancing successful biological adaptation.

Consistent with Darwin’s theory of evolution, it appears that Mother Nature, once again, may have found a way to overcome climate change, at least in this specific instance, and we may be witnessing it firsthand!

Effect of ocean acidification: Coral growth rate on Great Barrier Reef plummets in 30-year comparison

By menstruation

On September 26, 2014

In Student Post

A new marine biological study conducted in Australia shows a correlation between rising ocean acidification levels and declining coral growth rates in the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists Ken Caldeira and Jacob Silverman carried out research testing growth rates from samples of current coral on the reef and records from the 1970’s. The findings were astounding. According to the comparison, coral growth rates have declined by almost 40% since the 1970’s and the scientists believe they have an explanation.

Coral produce their exoskeleton by utilizing aragonite, a naturally occurring calcium carbonate (CaCO3). This process is called calcification. However, when acid levels in the water become too high, the environment for producing healthy coral becomes compromised. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution about one third of all CO2 released into the atmosphere has made its way into the oceans. This lowers the Ph, causing the water to become more acidic, and creates an environment ill suited for coral growth. The scientists speculate that this acidification of the water is whats leading to decreased growth rates in not only coral, but also many other species of marine life.

Coral plays a vital role in underwater ecosystems, providing food sources and shelter for nearly 25 percent of all marine life. Some reefs admired and studied by scientists today began growing nearly 50 million years ago. There is no question that coral’s role is vital in the fabric of the ocean. However, recent studies similar to the research done by Caldeira and Silverman are prompting scientists to worry deeply about the future of our oceans. When quoted on the status of reefs today, Caldeira stated, “Coral reefs are getting hammered. Ocean acidification, global warming, coastal pollution, and overfishing are all damaging coral reefs. Coral reefs have been around for millions of years, but are likely to become a thing of the past unless we start running our economy as if the sea and sky matters to us very soon.”

Photo credit: Wikipedia Public Domain Images: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef#mediaviewer/File:GreatBarrierReef-EO.JPG

Article:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140917121225.htm

Links for further reading:

http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean+Acidification

http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-ocean-acidification/

http://www.greatbarrierreef.org/

The Great Barrier Reef Not So Great?

By hirschybar13

On October 6, 2012

In Student Post

Image By Paul Holloway, Flickr

The first adjective I use when thinking about the Great Barrier Reef is great. But, according to a new study published by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in Townsville, Australia, it is rapidly shrinking. The shrinking is due in part to the recent storms, an increase in the number of crown of thorns starfish in the reef and coral bleaching.

The Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral in just over 27 years. John Gunn, the CEO of AIMS, said that we must “… adapt to the challenges of rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification.” He goes on to say, “We can’t stop the storms but, perhaps we can stop the starfish.”

Another concern for the Great Barrier Reef is that if this trend of shrinking continues at the rate it is going, then by 2022 the coral could shrink in half again.

But, there is some good news for the reef. It is able to regenerate itself. It will take about 10-20 years for the reef to fully recover, that is if it does not shrink in size anymore than it has already. This is quite near impossible though because there is no way to stop storms or ocean warming, which causes coral bleaching. The ocean warming stems from Global Warming, which is an epidemic in itself. The only thing that we can help to prevent is the crown of thorns starfish from destroying the reef. Scientists can continue to study them to find out how to reduce their numbers in the reef. Without the crown of thorns the reef with increase by 0.89% per year, a small recovery for the Great Barrier Reef. The whole process will take time, but if successful we can save the Great Barrier Reef from becoming a thing of the past.

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: coral

Diving into the Sea of Gene Editing

New Generation of Coral!

Effect of ocean acidification: Coral growth rate on Great Barrier Reef plummets in 30-year comparison

The Great Barrier Reef Not So Great?

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