Paula (Sijie) Hu

Applications and Methodologies of Human-Assisted Evolution in Sustaining Coral Reefs

Started Mar. 6, 2024

Abstract or project description

Coral reefs play a crucial role in sustaining marine biodiversity by nurturing life that stabilizes the ecosystem. They have incalculable ecological and economic value, supporting 25% of marine life (NOAA 2019) as well as 450 million people from 109 countries that live in close proximity and depend on resources from coral reefs (Oppen et al., 2015). However, in the 21st century, corals have been exposed to various climate and anthropogenic threats which require immediate action to mitigate the effects. This paper will evaluate the many solutions posed to further enhance conservation efforts in response to these rapidly changing environmental conditions. Coral species and individuals can have varying tolerance levels in response to the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures and ocean acidification. To combat this, geneticists and marine biologists pose a solution termed assisted evolution: the process of promoting evolution and adaptation via human assistance. Changes in environmental conditions are increasing in frequency and intensity, and only some populations may be able to adapt and evolve with the change. Uncertain of a species’ evolution potential, scientists have been performing ways of assisted evolution such as preconditioning, genetic engineering, and selective breeding. Assisted evolution attempts to change the genetics of some species to enable them to tolerate the changing environmental conditions. Though the topic of genetic editing holds controversies, its purpose is to sustain marine ecosystems and ultimately, to ensure global sustainability.