Coral Conservation
We’ve raised generations of coral at Birch Aquarium via coral propagation to help with coral conservation efforts! Our aquarists mimic nature and carefully fragment coral into smaller pieces. With proper care, these small coral fragments can grow into new coral colonies.
Sharing our Coral
Over the years, we’ve given hundreds of coral fragments to Scripps researchers and accredited aquariums worldwide. This work helps reduce pressures on wild populations and supports important research all over the world.
In July 2021, we sent coral from Birch Aquarium about 500 miles up the California coast to our friends over at the Steinhart Aquarium at California Academy of Sciences! Behind the scenes, our aquarists mimicked nature and carefully fragmented coral into smaller pieces – these fragments were then packed up and transported up the coast to the Steinhart Aquarium at Cal Academy. Next, biologists donned SCUBA gear and skillfully placed these corals in the Philippine Coral Reef exhibit, using epoxy to secure them. Click the button below to watch this coral collaboration in action!
Scripps Oceanography Coral Reef Research featured at Birch Aquarium
One of the greatest risks to coral reefs around the world is ocean acidification. Birch Aquarium has teamed up with Scripps Oceanography researcher Dr. Martin Tresguerres to provide an updated look at how ocean acidification impacts corals.
Understanding Corals at the Cellular Level
Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists studying coral reefs are diving deeper into the mechanics of how reefs work at the cellular level. Coral reefs are amongst the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems in the world and yet scientific knowledge of coral biology at the cellular level is scarce. By utilizing newly developed immunological techniques, Scripps Oceanography's Martin Tresguerres and David Kline are conducting an experiment to understand and predict responses to human-created stress.