Using enriched seawater and robots for coral restoration
Source: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/alkalinity-enrichment-and-robots-for-coral-restoration
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:20
Using enriched seawater and robots for coral restoration
"
AOML Communications
Published on: December 15, 2025
On
Posted on
December 15, 2025
by
AOML Communications
to
Corals
,
Engineering Solutions
,
Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems
,
Research Partnerships
The robot and the reef: Can enriched seawater fast-track coral restoration?
Alkalinity enrichment in the lab may be the key to more effective reef restoration. An innovative Ph.D. student puts this hypothesis to the test using cutting-edge technology.
In a tank filled with glass jars, stir bars, and coral babies settled onto ceramic tiles, a robotic arm glides with precision, dosing each jar with various levels of enriched seawater.
Overseeing the process is Kenzie Cooke, a University of Miami Rosenstiel School Ph.D. student working with the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (
CIMAS
). Cooke is conducting research with the
AOML Coral Program
at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (
AOML
), exploring how
alkalinity enrichment
affects coral growth, skeletal density, and recruitment success.
Cooke’s experimental design in AOML’s Coral Lab utilizes robotic arms programmed by scientists at AOML to automate the feeding and dosing of corals in each tank.
As coral reefs continue to decline at alarming rates worldwide
, innovative strategies that enhance the effectiveness of coral restoration efforts while minimizing labor are more critical than ever.
Cooke manipulates a ceramic tile with settled coral larvae under the microscope.
Today, major restoration efforts breed new coral recruits in land-based facilities before they’re outplanted on a designated reef. With this experiment, Cooke is hoping to build on observations from coral practitioners and growing scientific literature on the potential for enhanced alkalinity (higher pH) to increase coral growth rate and skeletal density. In particular, she is testing the impacts of enhanced alkalinity during early life stages of coral recruits, assessing survivorship and using state of the art robotics and high-tech CT scanners to look at skeletal density.
The premise of the experiment highlights the intricate role of carbonate chemistry in coral growth. Coral reefs are built over millennia, extracting carbonate ions from seawater to build their rigid calcium carbonate skeleton. Yet, this fundamental process, known as calcification, is sensitive to the ocean’s pH, which measures how acidic or alkaline the water is. As anthropogenic carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere and absorbed by our oceans, it reacts with seawater making the ocean more acidic.
At a large scale, this phenomenon is called
ocean acidification
, and it has profound consequences for animals that build calcium carbonate shells or skeletons like corals. As seawater becomes more acidic, coral growth slows and their skeletons become more fragile.
More and more, restoration practitioners are looking to bolster the genetic diversity and sheer number of corals in the restoration pipeline. But it can take a long time for corals to grow large enough to be outplanted.
This is where Cooke’s experiment aims to make a difference. She hopes to shorten the time it takes to grow outplant-ready corals, and give them a headstart in life by strengthening their skeletal integrity.
Staghorn corals set for the restoration pipeline are reared in the University of Miami’s Experimental Reef Laboratory.
“The goal of this research is to further understand and quantify the efficacy of alkalinity enhancement and how it might be best to put into practice for coral restoration efforts,” says Cooke.
Her experiment has jars, each containing a stir bar and ceramic tile with settled larvae. Using
a cutting-edge robotic arm programmed by scientists with AOML’s Coral Program
to manipulate water chemistry, Cooke tests five different alkalinity treatments to monitor the impact on larval survivorship and skeletal structure. To precisely analyze a coral’s skeleton, Cooke utilizes a high-tech micro-computed tomography machine—essentially a miniature CT scanner, much like those used in a doctor’s office. This allows her to scan the larvae and accurately determine their skeletal density.
A high-resolution micro-CT scan of a coral recruit reveals layers of skeletal growth with high precision and detail.
Cooke’s small-scale application is strategic, bolstering tank-raised corals before they are outplanted into the ocean. While Cooke is in the early stages of her experiment, strategies like hers that can accelerate development and enhance coral resilience, offer a scalable and responsible approach that could make local restoration efforts significantly more efficient and effective.
Tags
advanced manufacturing lab
alkalinity
amdl
coral
coral reef ecosystems
coral reefs
Coral Restoration and Resilience
corals
ocean acidification
Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems
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"
AOML Communications
Published on: December 15, 2025
On
Posted on
December 15, 2025
by
AOML Communications
to
Corals
,
Engineering Solutions
,
Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems
,
Research Partnerships
The robot and the reef: Can enriched seawater fast-track coral restoration?
Alkalinity enrichment in the lab may be the key to more effective reef restoration. An innovative Ph.D. student puts this hypothesis to the test using cutting-edge technology.
In a tank filled with glass jars, stir bars, and coral babies settled onto ceramic tiles, a robotic arm glides with precision, dosing each jar with various levels of enriched seawater.
Overseeing the process is Kenzie Cooke, a University of Miami Rosenstiel School Ph.D. student working with the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (
CIMAS
). Cooke is conducting research with the
AOML Coral Program
at NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (
AOML
), exploring how
alkalinity enrichment
affects coral growth, skeletal density, and recruitment success.
Cooke’s experimental design in AOML’s Coral Lab utilizes robotic arms programmed by scientists at AOML to automate the feeding and dosing of corals in each tank.
As coral reefs continue to decline at alarming rates worldwide
, innovative strategies that enhance the effectiveness of coral restoration efforts while minimizing labor are more critical than ever.
Cooke manipulates a ceramic tile with settled coral larvae under the microscope.
Today, major restoration efforts breed new coral recruits in land-based facilities before they’re outplanted on a designated reef. With this experiment, Cooke is hoping to build on observations from coral practitioners and growing scientific literature on the potential for enhanced alkalinity (higher pH) to increase coral growth rate and skeletal density. In particular, she is testing the impacts of enhanced alkalinity during early life stages of coral recruits, assessing survivorship and using state of the art robotics and high-tech CT scanners to look at skeletal density.
The premise of the experiment highlights the intricate role of carbonate chemistry in coral growth. Coral reefs are built over millennia, extracting carbonate ions from seawater to build their rigid calcium carbonate skeleton. Yet, this fundamental process, known as calcification, is sensitive to the ocean’s pH, which measures how acidic or alkaline the water is. As anthropogenic carbon dioxide is released into our atmosphere and absorbed by our oceans, it reacts with seawater making the ocean more acidic.
At a large scale, this phenomenon is called
ocean acidification
, and it has profound consequences for animals that build calcium carbonate shells or skeletons like corals. As seawater becomes more acidic, coral growth slows and their skeletons become more fragile.
More and more, restoration practitioners are looking to bolster the genetic diversity and sheer number of corals in the restoration pipeline. But it can take a long time for corals to grow large enough to be outplanted.
This is where Cooke’s experiment aims to make a difference. She hopes to shorten the time it takes to grow outplant-ready corals, and give them a headstart in life by strengthening their skeletal integrity.
Staghorn corals set for the restoration pipeline are reared in the University of Miami’s Experimental Reef Laboratory.
“The goal of this research is to further understand and quantify the efficacy of alkalinity enhancement and how it might be best to put into practice for coral restoration efforts,” says Cooke.
Her experiment has jars, each containing a stir bar and ceramic tile with settled larvae. Using
a cutting-edge robotic arm programmed by scientists with AOML’s Coral Program
to manipulate water chemistry, Cooke tests five different alkalinity treatments to monitor the impact on larval survivorship and skeletal structure. To precisely analyze a coral’s skeleton, Cooke utilizes a high-tech micro-computed tomography machine—essentially a miniature CT scanner, much like those used in a doctor’s office. This allows her to scan the larvae and accurately determine their skeletal density.
A high-resolution micro-CT scan of a coral recruit reveals layers of skeletal growth with high precision and detail.
Cooke’s small-scale application is strategic, bolstering tank-raised corals before they are outplanted into the ocean. While Cooke is in the early stages of her experiment, strategies like hers that can accelerate development and enhance coral resilience, offer a scalable and responsible approach that could make local restoration efforts significantly more efficient and effective.
Tags
advanced manufacturing lab
alkalinity
amdl
coral
coral reef ecosystems
coral reefs
Coral Restoration and Resilience
corals
ocean acidification
Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems
Previous
Previous post:
Inside the Storm: Meet the NOAA team behind hurricane research
Next
Next post:
AOML Presents: 12 days of Research