Coral Species Cryopreserved with Global Collaborators

Mary Hagedorn, Ph.D., and her team developed a low-cost technique for cryopreserving coral sperm cells and have shared this knowledge with coral researchers around the world. Coral genetic material frozen in this way can be viable for hundreds of years. Conservationists can use the frozen sperm to generate new corals and to strengthen small populations by adding genetic diversity.

Below is a comprehensive list of all the coral species that have had sperm cells cryopreserved (as of December 2021) — an impressive result of international collaboration.

Caribbean (10)

Acropora cervicornis
Acropora palmata*
Orbicella faveolata
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Colpophyllia natans
Dendrogyra cylindrus
Dichocoenia stokesii
Meandrina meandrites
Montastraea cavernosa
Siderastrea siderea

Hawaii (4)

Lobactis scutaria
Montipora capitata
Montipora flabellata
Pocillopora meandrina

French Polynesia (4)

Acropora globiceps
Acropora hyacinthus*
Acropora nasuta
Acropora pulchra

Gulf of Mexico (6)

Acropora palmata*
Dendrogyra cylindrus
Diploria labyrinthiformis
Orbicella faveolata
Orbicella annularis
Pseudodiploria strigosa

Great Barrier Reef (26)

Acropora aspera
Acropora austera
Acropora cytherea
Acropora divaricata
Acropora donei
Acropora florida
Acropora glauca
Acropora hyacinthus*
Acropora loripes
Acropora millepora
Acropora muricata
Acropora nobilis
Acropora sarmentosa
Acropora spathulata
Acropora tenuis
Acropora valida
Astrea curta
Coelastrea aspera
Cyphastrea microphthalma
Dipsastraea matthai
Echinopora lamellosa
Galaxea fascicularis
Goniastrea retiformis
Montipora aequituberculata
Platygyra daedalea
Platygyra lamellina

Saudi Arabian Red Sea (3)

Acropora hemprichii
Acropora eurystoma
Platygyra daedalea

*There is some overlap in cryopreserved species across regions. They are counted twice in this list because if they are not separate species, they are distinct populations.

Project Staff

Mary Hagedorn
Senior Research Scientist

Related Animals

Corals and sea anemones (anthozoa)

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