A research group in Italy has developed two new coral protection technologies for healing and restoring coral reefs: a biopaste and a natural patch, both successfully tested on real corals. The two solutions resulted from the collaboration among researchers at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Milan, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Genoa, and the Acquario di Genova (Aquarium of Genoa).

WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) today announced a $25 million gift of unrestricted support from Mark Terasaki, an MBL Whitman Scientist and Associate Professor in the University of Connecticut Health Center’s Department of Cell Biology. The gift will provide $5 million annually for the next five years to support core operations and infrastructure for MBL’s education and research programs. “Mark’s gift is the largest private contribution that MBL has received in its 137-year history,” said MBL Board Chairman Bill Huyett. “Beyond reflecting his extraordinary generosity, Mark’s support is notable for its purpose: helping to underwrite the scientific and administrative infrastructure that sustains the excellence of our training and research programs and the impact they deliver. Unrestricted support is invaluable—it allows us to adapt to the rapidly evolving world of basic research and ensure our programs deliver the greatest possible impact.”

As global climate change intensifies, ocean acidification is becoming a ‘relentless killer’ threatening coral reef ecosystems. Recently, a research paper published in the international authoritative journal Research has revealed diverse survival strategies of reef-building corals in response to ocean acidification, providing a new perspective for understanding and protecting this fragile marine ecosystem.