![]() One group are brooders, and they fertilise internally, producing fully formed planula larvae. There are two groups of corals, or rather two predominant sexual reproductive modes than groups. “Studying reproduction is fundamental if we are thinking about how these systems will repair or continue in the future. Understanding not just the health of the reef, but also its reproductive fitness allows you to understand how resilient it is, and how it can bounce back over time. “If some of the pressure on a damaged reef is removed, it can recover, but only if there’s a reproductively fit population that is spawning and seeding that damaged reef and allowing it to recover. It was that challenge that drew me to it.”Ĭlimate change is putting phenomenal pressure on the coral reefs. Keeping marine systems was viewed as a much harder thing than freshwater systems, in terms of technicality. I sold those so I could get the equipment to build my first marine tank, back in 98. ![]() I was breeding freshwater fish in the Halls of Residence at university. Then had a bit of a break when I hit about 16, and then got back into it at university. I was a hobbyist fish keeper from a young age and had terrapins and goldfish and all sorts in tanks in my family kitchen as a kid. A lifelong passionīlooloop caught up with Craggs again this year, and he spoke about his passion for coral. Since arriving at the Horniman in 2008, he has developed various research collaborations with universities and aquariums and links with conservation organisations across the globe. “Project Coral has made huge strides in creating the protocols to induce coral spawning in lab conditions, and the Horniman’s research will continue to refine the techniques and understand the effects of climate change on coral reproduction,” Craggs said.Ĭraggs believes that a collection within a public aquarium should be used to deepen our understanding of biology and promote the conservation of species and habitats. ![]() Through developing a deeper understanding of broadcast spawning events in captivity Project Coral aimed to support climate change research focusing on reproduction and reef restoration efforts and develop new sustainable coral aquaculture techniques. In 2018 Craggs was named Aquarist of the Year by the Marine Aquarium Societies of North America. This was a multi-year research project focused on developing techniques to induce broadcast coral spawning events predictably in closed-system aquariums. Craggs’ primary research interest is the reproductive biology of reef-building corals. ![]()
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