Climate change is already reshaping our world, but what if nature and technology could fight back together? IVF corals and cyborg peace lilies are emerging as unlikely heroes in the battle against environmental destruction. These innovative solutions - designed to restore fragile marine ecosystems and monitor hidden pollutants- are reimagining the future of climate action. From glowing plants that detect air toxins to genetically enhanced corals resisting heat stress, the future of our planet might just lie in these cutting-edge breakthroughs. By Ariella Morris
The looming hazard of climate disruption can be mitigated through human ingenuity. Amidst dying reeds and polluted air, IVF corals and cyborg peace lilies emerge as unlikely heroes in the battle against climate change. The climate crisis poses a significant danger, evidenced by wildfires sweeping across continents and ice caps melting at alarming rates - our Earth, as we know it, is changing. Simultaneously, rising temperatures and ocean acidification wreak havoc on marine ecosystems, threatening the delicate balance of life beneath the waves.
Coral reefs are essential for tourism, but they are also nurseries for fish and a soft engineering method for coastal protection. Corals need our help, not our sabotage, these marine invertebrates are vulnerable because they rely on specific environmental conditions to thrive. Their fragility is exploited by overfishing, pollution and rising seawater temperatures. These triggers result in wide-spread coral bleaching; over 50% of Earth’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years, consequently impacting developing countries (Secore, 2024).
Figure 1: This photo was taken on June 14 and shows the bleached coral around Koh Tao Island in Thailand. This depicts how the mass coral bleaching of 2023 affected countries worldwide. Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha/ AFP via Getty Images (Freedman, 2024).
Ten years ago, an innovative company named Secore developed a method to increase genetic diversity and resilience in corals by using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Using IVF, they were able to cultivate corals with advanced genetic diversity around the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean. These tissue-cultured corals were designed by collecting gametes during natural spawning events. This method of increasing genetic diversity made them more resilient in their ecosystem with a higher chance of adapting to climate change. This pioneering research can be used to help coral reefs and their ecosystems flourish, restoring the complex equilibrium of marine life and intensifying the resilience of coastal environments.
Miller and colleagues assert that assisted sexual coral propagation leads to more genetic diversity due to genetic recombination compared to traditional coral growing methods. After the Caribbean mass bleaching event in 2023, colonies with IVF corals showed less than 10% bleaching, whereas naturally fertilised populations showed bleaching from 60 to 100% (Miller et al, 2024). The year 2023 was the hottest on record in Earth’s history, with the Caribbean experiencing the highest sea temperatures ever recorded, leading to the mass coral bleaching event- the worst since 1987 (T. Goreau, 2024). Researchers have not come to a consensus about the unexpected heat tolerance; some of the proposed theories are environmental adaptation, physiological differences and genetic recombination (Miller et al, 2024). The heat-resistant response may be due to prior exposure and acclimatisation (O. McCarthy et al, 2024), however, the IVF corals may become less tolerant to heat stress as they age (Miller et al 2024). Whilst no single theory is confirmed, continued research is encouraged because the potential outcomes are optimistic.
Figure 2: NOAA Coral Reef Watch Map comparing global coral bleaching events. Note the Caribbean’s colour in 2024.
Though corals are vital to ocean ecosystems, terrestrial plants like peace lilies could promise hope in combating pollution. When you think of pollution you may think of dark smoke from an engine exhaust or thick white smoke from natural gas combustion. However, pollution can be much more covert. The greenhouse gas methane is invisible, yet it is one of the biggest contributors to global warming. Being invisible to the naked eye is hazardous- it is difficult to regulate, requires specialist sensors and is not supervised (T. Aldhafeeri, 2020).
If IVF corals aren't 'Black Mirror' enough for you, a cyborg peace lily named Argus can glow in response to poor air quality. A cyborg is a cybernetic organism, it is an entity made up of both biological and technical elements (K.Warwick, 2012). It's a definition that may seem alien but is now present in applied research. In 2020, Harpreet Sareen created a bionic peace lily fashioned with sensors small enough to flow through the intercellular channels of a leaf (H. Sareen, 2019). The fluorescent nanosensors were designed to fade over a few hours to show that its host is taking in toxic lead as it absorbs pollutants through its roots to indicate the present toxin. This botanical cyborg was biohacked to be an ‘environmental watchdog’.
Figure 3: An image displaying an array of natural peace lilies
A bionic plant, like Argus, could pinpoint emission hotspots for poor air quality detection, monitor fossil fuel usage, and assess atmospheric methane concentrations whilst supporting regulations and protecting vulnerable populations. This information supports the development of targeted policies to reduce pollution and ultimately alleviate the impacts of the climate crisis.
Climate change is an anthropogenic responsibility and thankfully both investigations show promising defences. These bionic organisms are new pieces of research and have a long way to go before widespread manufacturing and implementation. Nevertheless, they show the devotion of human invention towards salvation. Investing in these emerging technologies will become a necessity, not a choice.
References
Secore. 2024. Why coral reefs need our help. Available at: https://www.secore.org/site/corals/detail/why-coral-reefs-need-our-help.23.html (Accessed: 16.10.2024)
Miller, M. 2024. ‘Assisted sexual coral recruits show high thermal tolerance to the 2023 Caribbean mass bleaching event’, Page 1-2.
Goreau, T. 2024. ‘2023 Record marine heat waves: coral reef bleaching HotSpot maps reveal global sea surface temperature extremes, coral mortality, and ocean circulation changes’, Oxford Open Climate Change, Volume 4, Issue 1, Page 1.
McCarthy, O. 2024. ‘Corals that survive repeated thermal stress show signs of selection and acclimatization’ Page 1.
Aldhafeeri, T. 2020. ‘A Review of Methane Gas Detection Sensors: Recent Developments and Future Perspectives’ Page 1.
Warwick, K. 2014. ‘Creating practical cyborgs’, Pragmatics and Cognition, Page 159-181.
Sareen, H. 2019. ‘Cyborg Botany: Augmented Plants as Sensors, Displays and Actuators’
Freedman, A. (2024) 'Global coral bleaching event poised to set record', Axios, 21 October. Available at: https://www.axios.com/2024/10/21/global-coral-bleaching-event-record (Accessed: 16 November 2024).
De La Cour, J. (2024) 'How does the 2023-24 global coral bleaching compare to past events?', NOAA Climate.gov. Available at: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/how-does-2023-24-global-coral-bleaching-compare-past-events (Accessed: 16 November 2024).
