Scientists in the Florida Keys are using IVF to help restore threatened coral reefs. The Reef Institute is one of several conservation and scientific organizations taking part in the effort. During coral spawning, divers collect eggs and sperm, called gametes, from corals that are more resistant to heat. Researchers fertilize them in the lab and raise the baby corals before eventually returning them to the reef. The hope is to produce corals that are better adapted to warmer ocean temperatures and give Florida’s struggling reefs a better chance at survival.
🎙️Jake Buehler
🎥 Farivar Hamzeyi
Footage courtesy of The Reef Institute and Walker Wildlife Films.
Additional footage: Getty Images/WW News/uuoott/Bilanol/Joseph Henry/Coral_Brunner/Humberto Ramirez
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