UNESCO recognizes Brazilian project aimed at coral preservation

The rise in ocean temperatures between 2023 and 2024 has triggered a global wave of coral bleaching. It is estimated that 84 percent of the world’s coral reefs have been affected by this phenomenon, which occurs when the symbiotic relationship between photosynthetic algae (zooxanthellae) and corals breaks down.

When corals lose their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, they are deprived of a vital source of nutrition, becoming weaker and more vulnerable to disease and death.

Brazil was not spared from the global coral die-off, which severely affected species such as fire coral (Millepora alcicornis) and candle coral (Mussismilia harttii) along the coast between Maragogi, in Alagoas state, and Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte state.

Porto de Galinhas Beach, in Pernambuco state—famous for its raft trips to the coral reefs—was one of the areas hit by the bleaching wave. The Coral Biofactory project is based there, combining ecotourism with efforts to regenerate Pernambuco’s reefs.

“The coral colony in Porto de Galinhas suffered losses of over 95 percent. The only survivors were tiny fragments, no larger than one or two centimeters,” explains Rudã Fernandes, a fisheries engineer and manager of the Coral Biofactory project.

Coral reefs covered with Caribbean Zoanthid coral (Palythoa caribaeorum) in the research area of the Coral Biofactory project, in Porto de Galinhas. Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil

The Biofactory operates a research and visitor center in Porto de Galinhas, dedicated to recovering coral fragments, breeding these organisms, and restoring the reef.

Part of the reproduction and growth process of these animals—cnidarians, like jellyfish—is carried out directly on the reef, where the baby corals grow in their natural environment.

The other part takes place in tanks at a laboratory located at the National Center for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity in the Northeast (Cepene), part of the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), in Tamandaré, Pernambuco. Once they reach a larger size, the corals are transported to the reef for transplantation.

Thanks to this work, the Coral Biofactory was able to preserve a significant portion of the corals in Porto de Galinhas.

“Unfortunately, our small corals, cultivated in situ during their nursery stage, were lost. However, our older colonies survived the bleaching, albeit with reduced coverage, allowing us to save about 20 percent of them,” says Fernandes. “Thus, most of the corals currently alive in Porto de Galinhas are those managed by the Biofactory.”

The current focus is on managing these corals to repopulate the reefs of Porto de Galinhas. In Tamandaré, where the Biofactory’s laboratory is located, corals that had been returned to the sea also experienced bleaching but were saved after being brought back to Cepene’s tanks for recovery.

This year, the Coral Biofactory was honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a global reference project for the Decade of the Ocean.

“This endorsement not only s our work but also helps us connect with other researchers and key global stakeholders in ocean conservation. It enables us to gain knowledge, form strategic partnerships, and engage in exchanges that guide us in improving our efforts,” concludes Fernandes.