Cryopreservation and revival of Hawaiian stony corals using isochoric vitrification

Matthew J. Powell-Palm (), E. Michael Henley (), Anthony N. Consiglio, Claire Lager, Brooke Chang, Riley Perry, Kendall Fitzgerald, Jonathan Daly, Boris Rubinsky and Mary Hagedorn
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Matthew J. Powell-Palm: Texas A&M University
E. Michael Henley: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Anthony N. Consiglio: University of California Berkeley
Claire Lager: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Brooke Chang: University of California Berkeley
Riley Perry: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Kendall Fitzgerald: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Jonathan Daly: Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Boris Rubinsky: University of California Berkeley
Mary Hagedorn: Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Corals are under siege by both local and global threats, creating a worldwide reef crisis. Cryopreservation is an important intervention measure and a vital component of the modern coral conservation toolkit, but preservation techniques are currently limited to sensitive reproductive materials that can only be obtained a few nights per year during spawning. Here, we report the successful cryopreservation and revival of cm-scale coral fragments via mL-scale isochoric vitrification. We demonstrate coral viability at 24 h post-thaw using a calibrated oxygen-uptake respirometry technique, and further show that the method can be applied in a passive, electronics-free configuration. Finally, we detail a complete prototype coral cryopreservation pipeline, which provides a platform for essential next steps in modulating post-thaw stress and initiating long-term growth. These findings pave the way towards an approach that can be rapidly deployed around the world to secure the biological genetic diversity of our vanishing coral reefs.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40500-w

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