“Could a multivitamin boost the health and resilience of coral reefs? Preliminary testing says yes! Like humans, these critical ecosystems rely on nutrients in the environment surrounding them. Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have been lab testing nutrient-infused tiles to determine whether they would boost the immune system of corals, helping them withstand stressors like warming ocean temperatures that lead to coral bleaching, and better recover from extreme climate events such as hurricanes…
But preliminary data collected during more than a year of lab experiments shows that corals that had the early benefit of multivitamins were more resistant and resilient to heat stress…
Field testing is still needed to ensure that additional nutrients in the environment don’t cater to one specific type of coral or promote the growth of undesired or invasive species. Brandt, Hansel, and their colleagues hope utilizing these nutrient tiles, alongside an artificial reef structure, will create a diverse environment for reefs and species that rely on them.”