Abstract

Coral reefs are suffering on a global scale due to human impacts, thereby necessitating cryopreservation efforts. The objective of this study was to develop a suitable vitrification and laser warming protocol for larvae of the scleractinian coral Seriatopora caliendrum, which inherit their dinoflagellate algal symbionts vertically. Toxicity experiments were conducted with the cryoprotectants (CPAs) ethylene glycol (EG), propylene glycol (PG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), glycerol (GLY), and methanol (METH; listed in order from least to most toxic), and larvae were subjected to vitrification and laser warming using 2 M EG + 1 M PG and 2 M EG + 1 M DMSO. Vitrification and laser warming (300 V, 10 ms pulse width, 2 mm beam diameter) using a vitrification solution of 2 M EG + 1 M PG, 40% w/v Ficoll, and 10% v/v gold nanobars (GNB) at a final concentration of 1.2 × 1018 GNB/mL and a characteristic wavelength of 535 nm resulted in larvae with vitality and settlement percentages of 55 and 9%, respectively. This represents the first successful instance of cryopreservation of coral larvae that proceeded to settle upon warming, and suggests that the vitrification and ultra-fast laser warming approach may be applicable to other threatened marine species.

Details

Title
First instance of settlement by cryopreserved coral larvae in symbiotic association with dinoflagellates
Author
Cirino, Luca 1 ; Zhi-Hong, Wen 2 ; Hsieh, Kevin 3 ; Cheng-Liang, Huang 4 ; Leong, Qi Lun 4 ; Li-Hsueh, Wang 5 ; Chen, Chii-Shiarng 6 ; Daly, Jonathan 7 ; Tsai, Sujune 8 ; Lin, Chiahsin 5 

 Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yai-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan 
 Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yai-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 
 He Wei Precision Company Limited, Hsinchu, Taiwan 
 Department of Applied Chemistry, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, Taiwan 
 National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan; Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, Taiwan 
 Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yai-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Pingtung, Taiwan; Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, Taiwan 
 Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, USA; Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Hawaii, USA 
 Department of Post Modern Agriculture, Mingdao University, Chang Hua, Taiwan 
Pages
1-8
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Dec 2019
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2324904457
Copyright
© 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.