It’s coral spawning season again! 🪸🌔🙌
For several nights in November and December, after each full moon, teams of researchers, technicians and volunteers gather at the National Sea Simulator for the annual mass coral spawning.
The corals in our aquaculture facilities spawn at the same time (give or take) as the wild colonies back on the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a miracle of nature!*
* a.k.a. the result of a complicated interplay between several environmental factors, including temperature and the lunar cycle.
Back at the SeaSim, there’s much activity and excitement as we wait for coral colonies from different species and locations to spawn. Thankfully they don’t all go at the same time!
We then collect the egg-and-sperm bundles that float to the surface. They are separated by lab techniques that simulate the natural processes in the ocean. These methods have become increasingly automated to handle growing numbers of corals, although some research still requires the classic manual approach 👩🔬🧪
This year we are particularly excited to be putting a range of new technologies through their paces, such as the Coral Spawn and Larvae Imaging Camera System (CSLICS) 📸
📽️ Watch the video for scenes from a typical spawning night.
🔬 Learn more about our coral spawning research on the AIMS website:
https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/featured-projects/reef-spawning-research-aims
