Aquarium Releases Report on Super Coral Workshop
In December 2018 the Aquarium partnered with the Phoenix Island Protected Area Trust and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to host a workshop on super corals with coral experts from around the world, including representatives from Pacific Island nations.
June 13, 2019
The workshop’s goals were to discuss the role of climate-resilient corals in the survival of coral reefs, identify potential roles for public aquariums in educating the public on super corals and creating a living bank of super coral specimens for research. It also included drafting a plan for the propagation of super corals and developing an exhibit and live bank at the Aquarium. A report on the workshop’s proceedings and resulting plans is now available.
Scientists have been studying “super corals” to better understand corals’ response to climate change and develop conservation practices for a warming ocean. Super corals are those that have demonstrated the ability to tolerate or recover from stress and successfully reproduce after a stressor, such as ocean warming.
After the workshop, the Aquarium developed a show on super corals for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Science on a Sphere. This show plays in the daily rotation in the Ocean Science Center. See the screens posted outside the Ocean Science Center for show times.
Plans are under way to develop an exhibit on super corals at the Aquarium.
