San Diego State University Biology Professor Forest Rohwer and his former doctoral student Jason Baer are leading an initiative they call “Coral Reef Arks”— a novel method aimed at enhancing coral reef restoration efforts through a deeper understanding of the complex microbial communities that support reef health.
Rohwer, whose expertise spans genomic analysis of marine phage, coral-associated bacteria and viruses, and coral disease, has spent years examining the microscopic life forms that underpin reef ecosystems. His latest research emphasizes the importance of maintaining microbial diversity as a foundation for coral resilience and recovery.
In a recent interview with NBC 7’s Brooke Martell, Rohwer and Baer discussed how their research could reshape conventional restoration methods. Rather than solely focusing on transplanting coral fragments, the Coral Reef Arks concept involves cultivating entire reef ecosystems— including microbes, algae, and invertebrates— in controlled environments, then reintroducing them into damaged marine habitats.
The project underscores the urgency of innovation in conservation science as coral reef degradation accelerates worldwide. With rising ocean temperatures and human activity taking a severe toll, Rohwer and Baer hope their work will offer a sustainable model for reef recovery— one that looks beyond coral alone and toward the broader ecological networks that allow reefs to thrive.
Their findings could help inform global efforts to preserve what remains of the planet’s reefs— often called the “rainforests of the sea”— before it’s too late.