Hear Zoo scientist Mary Hagedorn talk about the elkhorn coral project with As It Happens host Carol Off. This interview originally aired on the CBC on September 28.
Coral Conservancy Program
The benefits of the Coral Conservation Program to the maintenance and well-being of coral species throughout the oceans are profound. Coral is at risk worldwide. This project seeks to develop means to preserve critical forms of coral to avoid extinction and to restore species eventually back into nature.
The project initially focuses on North American species, and is expanding to an international project. This exchange of knowledge and resources will enhance the intellectual and technical infrastructure at home and abroad, and will strengthen the bonds of national and international collaborations. The project is exemplary in the multidisciplinary, collaborative design that is the hallmark of successful scientific and conservation enterprises.
The Coral Conservancy Program conducts most of its cryobiological and physiological experiments on the reefs on Coconut Island with our partner Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB). This project underscores the National Zoo’s status as a leader in conservation science. We are based in Hawaii for number of reasons.
First, most coral around the world spawn only once a year, but Hawaiian mushroom coral spawn five to six times each year. This allows us to collect data more quickly. Second, HIMB has sophisticated molecular and physiological equipment for understanding complex processes. Third, the coral is healthy and easy to collect—it’s just offshore. This is not the case in many places of the world.
