Why is this research valuable?
Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse — and most threatened — ecosystems on the planet. Despite incredible restoration efforts, one major bottleneck remains: getting young corals to survive. Fewer than one per cent of coral larvae typically make it through their first year. Our research shows that by providing the right kinds of lipids — the essential fats that corals need to grow and cope with stress — we can dramatically improve their chances of survival. It’s a new way of thinking about coral restoration: not just producing more larvae, but giving them the best possible start in life.
How did it all start?
I’ve studied coral nutrition for many years, and my research, along with that of others, has shown that nutrition is fundamental to coral survival. For this specific project, I was pregnant at the time and often found myself thinking about why so few coral larvae make it through their early stages. I thought - if we give human babies formula optimised to their nutritional needs, maybe that’s what’s missing for corals.
In most animals, early nutrition is critical for growth and resilience, but coral larvae have often been treated as passive drifters, relying solely on stored energy. The challenge is that studying what baby corals lacked when they die is nearly impossible — they turn to mush within hours. So instead, we flipped the question: what if we fed them different supplements and observed which improved their survival?
After years of studying coral lipid metabolism, we began testing targeted supplements — like omega-3-rich oils and sterols — to see whether they could strengthen coral larvae. That idea sparked a collaboration between coral biologists, chemists, and restoration scientists, which eventually led to this study.
What was the research process like?
This project was a blend of fieldwork, coral spawning chaos, and meticulous lab analysis. We collected coral spawn from the Great Barrier Reef at the National Sea Simulator and reared the larvae under controlled conditions, providing them with different lipid-rich supplements. We then measured how these treatments influenced key traits — swimming, settlement, and survival — across early life stages.
Using lipidomics, we also traced how the larvae absorbed and used these molecules. It was incredibly rewarding to see the data reveal that the corals were truly “feeding” and benefiting from the supplements. The differences in swimming behaviour were especially fascinating — it makes sense that feeding larvae would have more energy to swim, but this had never been tested before. It also has implications for reef connectivity models, which often treat larvae as passive floating particles rather than active swimmers.
So, what did we find?
We found that specific lipid supplements — particularly sterols and fish oils — can make a big difference. Sterols improved settlement success, while fish and Calanus oils enhanced survival, even under heat stress. The swimming results reinforced that coral larvae are not just passive particles in the water — they are metabolically active and can benefit from the right nutrition.
In short, we’ve developed a kind of “baby food” for corals that helps them survive one of the most vulnerable phases of their life.
We’re now taking this work from bench to benefit — directly feeding mass coral spawn collected on the reef, in partnership with local Indigenous communities and reef stakeholders (including GBR Biology and Reef Magic). Together, we’re testing whether direct feeding on the reef can help support not only the next generation of corals, but also the next generation of reef stewards.
What about the funding of our research?
This research was supported by a Pure Ocean – Innovation for the Ocean grant and a Chancellor’s Research Fellowship from the University of Technology Sydney. The project brought together expertise in coral biology, lipid chemistry, and restoration practice — and it wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative spirit of our co-authors, partners, and field teams.
What are the implications of these findings, and what happens next?
Improving early coral survival could transform the efficiency and scalability of reef restoration. If we can help more coral larvae survive and settle, we can rebuild reefs faster and reduce the need for wild collection.
Our next steps are to test these lipid supplements across more coral species and restoration environments, and to explore how nutrition interacts with stressors such as heat and ocean acidification. Ultimately, we hope this research helps shape the future of nutritionally informed reef restoration — where giving coral babies the right start in life helps reefs recover and thrive.
Of course, nutritional supplements alone won’t save coral reefs — global action on climate change remains essential. But improving the survival of young corals gives restoration practitioners an important new tool to work with. Every percentage point of increased survival matters when rebuilding damaged reefs. This work is one small, hopeful piece of a much larger puzzle, helping coral ecosystems persist while the world works toward a more sustainable future.