TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A scientist from the Pennsylvania State University, Unites States, revealed a unique relationship between Caribbean corals and the algae that live on them. The finding that was published as a cover article in Molecular Ecology on June 10 is claimed to serve as an important tool in preserving and restoring vital reef-building corals.
"When we looked at individual coral colonies we found that only one strain of algae consisting of genetically identical cells," The Penn State researcher, Iliana Baums, said as quoted by Science Daily. "This wasn't clear before -- we didn't know whether there might be just one or many strains of that algal species in one coral colony.”
The scientist believes that the new knowledge can be used to study how the reefs adapt to sea water temperature changing as the global warming effect.
“And because this relationship is symbiotic, each partner needs to respond to the changing temperature. They have to evolve together if they're going to survive," Baums continued.
By knowing the most suitable combination of the coral-algae partnership, scientist can decide which corals to bring into nurseries, to grow, and to replant back on the reef to restore healthy coral populations.
MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI
