Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2020
Keywords
climate change, coral, genetic management, molecular biomarker, population enhancement
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12687
Abstract
As coral reefs continue to decline due to climate change and other stressors, scientists have proposed adopting genomic tools, such as biomarkers, to aid in the conservation and restoration of these threatened ecosystems. Biomarkers are easily measured indicators of biological processes that can be used to predict or diagnose health, resilience, and other key performance metrics. The ultimate goal of developing biomarkers is to determine the conservation value and utility of a given coral colony, including the host animal, its algal symbionts, and their microbial partners. However, this goal remains distant because most efforts have not yet moved beyond the initial discovery phase. We review recent progress in the development of coral molecular biomarkers from a practical standpoint and consider the many challenges that remain as roadblocks to large-scale implementation. We caution practitioners that, while biomarkers are a promising technology, they are unlikely to be available for field application in the near future barring a rapid shift in research focus from discovery to subsequent validation and field trials. To facilitate such a shift, we propose a stepwise framework to guide additional study in this area, with the aim of accelerating practical molecular biomarker development to enhance coral restoration practice.
Rights Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Conservation Letters, v. 13, issue 1, art. e12687
Scholar Commons Citation
Parkinson, John Everett; Baker, Andrew C.; Baums, Iliana B.; Davies, Sarah W.; Grottoli, Andréa G.; Kitchen, Sheila A.; Matz, Mikhail V.; Miller, Margaret W.; Shantz, Andrew A.; and Kenkel, Carly D., "Molecular Tools for Coral Reef Restoration: Beyond Biomarker Discovery" (2020). Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications. 479.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/bin_facpub/479
Supporting Information
