SCIENCE
How UK scientists are breeding coral in landlocked Derbyshire
The University of Derby is a world leader in coral research
PhD student Kara Rising, handling live corals in the Coral Spawning Lab at the University of Derby
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For the past decade, Taissa Damasceno and Camile Avelino have studied the corals of their native Brazil. The creatures — corals are animals — form reefs that are distributed along nearly 2,000 miles of the country’s coast.
Yet to witness arguably the most important event in the life cycle of these marine organisms, the two biologists have travelled to what might seem a surprising location — landlocked Derbyshire.
The University of Derby may be 75 miles from the nearest shore, but it is a world leader in coral research. In particular, it is the academic home of Dr Michael Sweet, the inventor of a pioneering technique that coaxes corals kept in aquariums to reproduce on cue.
Dr Michael Sweet, who has developed a way to entice coral to breed on cue
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The sex lives of these creatures are among the
