Got a fish tank at home? Experts are racing to preserve the fast-disappearing biodiversity of our coral reefs. And the solution might be a bio-bank of living corals in the homes of millions of citizen scientists
Experts are racing to preserve the fast-disappearing biodiversity of our coral reefs, and the solution could include your home fish tank.
Dubbed a "coral ark", endangered coral species will be stored and bred in tanks using advanced lighting and water chemistry techniques developed by the aquarium industry.Under the right conditions, coral species could be preserved for thousands of years, much like how Norway's Global Seed Vault conserves the world's plants. Just as the Australian public has embraced the propagation of the rare Wollemi pine, home fish tanks could end up fostering rare corals.
Within five years, those numbers should swell to 800 samples of reef-building corals. Initial samples are now held at Cairns Marine while the partners - backed by an anonymous Dutch donor - secure approvals for an advanced cyclone-proof facility at Port Douglas in far north Queensland.
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