Keck Foundation backs collaborative coral reef regeneration research
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) has announced a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation in support of a multi-university collaboration to expand coral regeneration research.
The funding will enable researchers to investigate how corals heal from damage and withstand environmental threats, particularly those associated with climate change. Led by UCSB, research teams including experts in regenerative biology and coral ecology from University of California, Davis, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Georgia will study Porites lobata—a coral species known for its resilience—to measure the effects of various wound types and intensities on coral colonies and gauge how thermal stress affects coral regeneration.
“Our primary goal is to develop a comprehensive model that links coral tissue damage and regeneration with overall colony growth, reproduction, survival, and response to thermal stress,” said UCSB marine biologist Adrian Stier. “I’m optimistic that [our] research will offer hope for the restoration of coral reefs in the face of climate change.”
(Photo credit: Getty Images/goinyk)
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