The scientists at the University of Guam Marine Laboratory have been doing some remarkable work in coral reef restoration. To remedy this, they are taking an innovative approach, using coral fusion, fragmentation and microbiome science. Colin J. Anthony and his colleagues published a groundbreaking paper titled “Restoration innovation: Fusing microbial memories to engineer coral resilience” in the journal One Earth. This study introduces a new framework. It unites basic biology and applied biology to increase the power of restoration ecology.
The research looked at specific characteristics of nursery-cultured staghorn corals (Acropora). It centers on the unique morphological, physiological and microbiological profiles as opposed to wild corals. Anthony joined forces with Drs. Sarah Lemer, Laurie Raymundo, and Héloïse Rouzé to produce this pioneering research. Tied together, these factors hope to reconcile the diverse realm of coral biology into one successful approach to restoring coral reefs.
Key Findings from the Research
Their research sheds light on the successful union of coral fragments originating from the wild and nurseries. In particular, the team fused genotypic and phenotypic coral microbiology to innovative coral restoration practices in their first-ever attempt to fuse fragments of Acropora aspera. His unique combination of artistry and science is designed to create environmental resilience while making restoration work more sustainable.
Colin Anthony emphasized the significance of their findings, stating, “We believe our study is a large conceptual step forward and acts as a call to action for scientists to integrate subfields, identify missing basic information, and develop new techniques to maximize sustainability of restoration efforts.” This new research highlights the critical and growing need for targeted strategies to halt and reverse the worldwide decline of coral reefs.
Advancements in Coral Restoration Techniques
Much of this research is motivated by the amazing success story of the Raymundo Coral Lab. So far, they have successfully gobbled up all staghorn species native to Guam in two large-scale coral nurseries. Anthony and his team jumped over the hurdle of Guam’s most endangered staghorn corals. They took a creative approach to increase restoration success by merging fragmentation and fusion techniques.
Today, the team is hard at work continuing to test and evaluate these integrative restoration strategies. Anthony stated, “We are in the process of testing, evaluating, and developing integrative restoration techniques on critically endangered staghorn corals in Guam.” This preliminary but promising research has the potential to greatly improve current coral reef restoration techniques.
Collaboration and Future Directions
Even with the geographic separations required among the members of this team, collaboration is still a focus. Anthony noted, “Despite both of us moving to different countries, Dr. Rouzé and I plan to work closely with Dr. Raymundo’s coral restoration group and other biologists in Guam.” This commitment to working together underscores just how important pooled information and resources can be. Collectively, we can meet the rapid development and pollution threats to coral ecosystems head-on.
The paper was published with the DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101193, drawing attention to the urgent need for innovative approaches in ecological restoration. This interdisciplinary work combines microbiome science with well-known restoration strategies. In turn, it creates new opportunities for increasing coral resilience to climate change and habitat degradation.