Marine Innovation Hub Punta Cana

Expanding Coral Conservation Science: Field Updates & Next Steps!

We are excited to share an important update on our ongoing coral research collaboration with the Bhattacharya Lab (Rutgers University)! Last May, after a year-long gap, we welcomed back our partners for a crucial resampling mission. The team revisited previously studied coral colonies to collect new samples, building on last year’s findings. This also allowed us to assess the current health status of last year’s donor colonies.

This year’s expedition marked a significant new development—we included four new coral species (Orbicella annularis, Montastraea cavernosa, Dendrogyra cylindrus and Siderastrea siderea) in the omics investigation led by Dr. Bhattacharya’s lab. These additions will enhance our understanding of coral resilience and adaptation, providing deeper insights into coral health.

Like in the previous year, samples were collected from three different sites, both in Punta Cana and in Bayahibe with the collaboration of our longstanding partners FUNDEMAR. The main goals for this year’s field trip were:

• To collect Orbicella faveolata for Yellow Band Disease (CYBD) investigations, in order to determine a model for the disease and identify disease biomarkers
• Collect various species for the development of an early detection tool for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD)
• Collect acroporids for population genetics and determine relatedness between Punta Cana and Cap Cana nurseries, to see if there is a genotype linked to spawning.

Your generous support and our grants have made this progress possible. With your help, we are advancing critical research that could inform future coral conservation strategies.

However, to sustain this momentum, we need continued funding for fieldwork and data processing.

Next Steps:

• Complete genomic and metabolomic sequencing of the new samples
• Compare data to track coral health trends and possible in-field tools to help detect these diseases before it’s too late to help the coral colony.
• R&D for possible probiotics to help improve coral resilience.

Publish findings to guide global reef protection efforts