THE University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) is set to launch the country’s first coral restoration facility to address increasing threats on coral reefs caused by climate change and human intervention.
The project, called “Coral Conservation Capacity Development in the Coral Triangle: A Cryorepository Network for Coral Larvae,” involves research institutions from the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand who aims to establish the first regional network of coral larval cryobanks in the Coral Triangle.
The research targets Pocillopora, one of the Pocilloporid corals for larvae cryopreservation.The project is part of a ground-breaking regional effort to conserve coral reef biodiversity through cryopreservation.
“It’s not just about preserving corals today, it’s about building a foundation for future research and reef restoration that can benefit generations to come,” said Dr. Maria Vanessa Baria-Rodriguez, lead of the Philippine research team.
Together with her laboratory, the Interactions of Marine Bionts and Benthic Ecosystems Laboratory (IMBiBE), Rodriguez intends to strengthen the country’s capability to safeguard coral biodiversity.
The initiative is spearheaded by Dr. Chiahsin Lin of the National Dong Hwa University and the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Taiwan, and is supported by the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform through the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, Inc.
The project is currently focused on pocilloporid corals with a brooding reproductive strategy.
Pocilloporid coral larvae are collected from hatchery-monitored colonies and preserved in liquid nitrogen for long-term storage and future use in coral restoration.
Pocilloporid corals are considered weedy species; they are among the first to colonize disturbed reefs due to their rapid growth and fast reproductive cycles. These traits make them valuable for accelerating reef recovery.
However, their sensitivity to climate stress, especially coral bleaching, poses a significant challenge to their long-term survival.
Dr. Lin and his students conducted a capacity-building training on cryopreservation at the UP MSI Bolinao Marine Laboratory last December. The training equipped research assistants of the IMBiBE laboratory with essential knowledge and hands-on experience in cryopreservation techniques like vitrification and cryobanking.
Beyond pocilloporids, the project also aims to adapt cryopreservation protocols for other coral species and further develop tools such as a fourth-generation laser-assisted warming device and cryojig system.
Since the project’s launch in December last year, a follow-up training was held in February 2025at the NMMBA, led by Dr. Lin, further enhancing technical skills and regional collaboration.
Ryan Carl De Juan, one of the research assistants at the IMBiBE laboratory, has begun collecting and
monitoring brooding Pocilloporid colonies, with initial trials in vitrification and banking, resulting in the
successful cryopreservation of early-stage coral larvae.
The team continues its monthly efforts to increase the number of cryopreserved larvae across various
target coral species.
Through this project, the IMBiBE laboratory of UP-MSI seeks to establish the first coral larval repository
or cryobank at the Bolinao Marine Laboratory under Rodriguez’s leadership.
