Photo: Francesco Ungaro | Unsplash
The Tara Pacific expedition is a two-year research mission to study the conditions for coral life and survival. The expedition, involving 70 scientists from eight countries, collected over 58,000 samples from a hundred coral reefs across the Pacific Ocean, resulting in the largest genetic inventory in any marine system to date. The research reveals that global microbial biodiversity in coral reefs is much higher than previously estimated. The coral reefs contain all the globally estimated bacterial biodiversity, emphasizing their significance as biologically diverse marine ecosystems. The research also shows that the impacts of the environment on evolutionary adaptation in corals are species-specific. Furthermore, the study revealed that important genes in corals are duplicated, potentially contributing to their longevity and ability to survive harsh conditions. The Tara Pacific expedition's extensive data collection, including physical and chemical measurements, is freely accessible and serves as a valuable resource for future coral reef research worldwide.
|
|
More:
