Environment & Energy

Judi Lynn

(163,980 posts) Mon Oct 6, 2025, 02:44 AM Monday

Philippines to Launch First Coral Larvae Cryobank to Boost Reef Restoration

UP Marine Science Institute leads groundbreaking regional effort to preserve coral biodiversity through cryopreservation in the Coral Triangle.

By Biobanking.com -August 18, 2025

Highlights

First in the Country: UP MSI to set up the Philippines’ first coral larvae cryobank at Bolinao Marine Laboratory.

Regional Collaboration: Partnership with Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to create the Coral Triangle’s first cryorepository network.

Restoration Focus: Initial work on fast-growing pocilloporid corals to accelerate reef recovery despite climate stress challenges.

As coral reefs face increasing threats from climate change and human activity, the UP Marine Science Institute (MSI) is set to establish the country’s first coral larvae cryobank facility to boost coral restoration in the Philippines.

This is part of a groundbreaking regional effort to conserve coral reef biodiversity through cryopreservation. The project, entitled “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 to establish the first regional network of coral larval cryobanks in the Coral Triangle.

“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), she aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to safeguard coral biodiversity.

The project is led by Dr. Chiahsin Lin of National Dong Hwa University and the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Taiwan, and is supported by the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) through the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, Inc. (MERF).

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