Southeast Asia’s First Coral Larvae Cryobank:
The Philippines has launched Southeast Asia’s first coral larvae cryobank, a pioneering initiative to freeze and preserve coral “seeds” to protect marine biodiversity and revive damaged reefs.It is a scientific facility that freezes and stores coral larvae at ultra-low temperatures to preserve their genetic material for future use in reef restoration or research.It Functions as a “genetic seed vault” for corals, helping safeguard biodiversity that could be lost due to climate change and coral bleaching. The project is part of a regional network under the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform.
Participating countries include the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Process:
- The free-swimming reproductive stage are collected during spawning events.
- The larvae are exposed to cryoprotective solutions that prevent ice crystal formation during freezing.
- Using a rapid freezing technique, larvae are plunged into liquid nitrogen at –196°C, turning them into a glass-like state without crystallisation.
- When needed, laser-based rapid warming thaws the samples within seconds, preventing cell damage.
- Revived larvae are rehydrated in seawater, monitored for movement and settling, then transferred to controlled tanks for coral regrowth.
