Project description DEENESFRITPL Researching the coral biomineralisation process Coral reefs are a very important part of oceanic fauna and flora, serving as safe havens for a variety of underwater creatures and plants. Unfortunately, coral reefs are under threat as they have been among the most heavily affected victims of anthropogenic climate change, leaving countless species in danger while also causing problems to human settlements due to the sudden lack of benefits such as coastal defence and sustainable fisheries. Studies suggest that coral reef survival is heavily dependent on coral biomineralisation, but little research has been conducted on this process, making it hard to replicate or assist it. The EU-funded Microns2Reefs project aims to change this by providing a mechanistic understanding of coral biomineralisation and coral reef resilience. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Coral Reefs are under threat from climate change, pollution and other local and global anthropogenic disturbances. Microns2Reefs will go beyond the state of the art by providing the mechanistic understanding needed to accurately predict their fate given the multifaceted and multifactorial anthropogenic threats they face. Coral reefs provide many ecosystem functions, from coastal defence to sustaining fisheries. These, and many others, critically depend on the 3D framework of the reef made from the skeletons of Scleractinian corals. The coral biomineralisation tool kit is known but key questions remain: what biomineralisation tools are most important? what and how do environmental and biological factors limit and influence biomineralisation? how does the environmental sensitivity of coral biomineralisation determine the diversity, resilience, and survivability of individual colonies and the entire reef? The answers to these questions are key to inform the strategies needed to effectively manage these diversity hotspots and are placed into sharp focus by recent coral mass mortality events and the rapidity of anthropogenic climate change.Microns2Reefs will produce a step change by integrating a raft of new and innovative scientific techniques to provide a mechanistic understanding of coral biomineralisation and hence coral reef resilience. Microns2Reefs has four objectives: 1) to develop a novel multimodal imaging technique to reconstruct the nature of the calcifying fluid and the biomineralisation process in 3D; 2) use this to build a detailed model of coral biomineralisation; 3) develop a mechanistic understanding of the relationship between environment and skeleton construction; 4) quantify the future resilience of corals and coral reefs in the face of multiple anthropogenic stressors. Microns2Reefs is only now feasible due to recent analytical developments, exchange of knowledge and ideas from biomedical sciences, and advances in geochemistry and coral genomics. Fields of science natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeochemistrynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollutionnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes Keywords Coral calcification geochemical imaging boron isotopes micro-CT correlative imaging coral genetics biomineralisation Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2019-ADG - ERC Advanced Grant Call for proposal ERC-2019-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant Host institution UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON Net EU contribution € 3 492 322,00 Address Highfield SO17 1BJ Southampton United Kingdom See on map Region South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 3 492 322,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON United Kingdom Net EU contribution € 3 492 322,00 Address Highfield SO17 1BJ Southampton See on map Region South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 3 492 322,00
