International Journal of Aquaculture, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 67-75 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ija 70 4.3 Marine pollution (plastic waste, chemical discharges, etc.) Marine pollution, especially plastic waste and chemicals, also seriously threatens the health of corals. Plastic sticks to the coral to block the sun. Chemicals can directly poison corals. These make corals more prone to illness and harder to recover (Morais et al., 2018). In some countries, such as Pakistan, pollution is already one of the main causes of coral reduction. To protect corals, we must find ways to reduce the source of pollution, such as treating wastewater and reducing marine garbage (Yang, 2020). 4.4 Coral diseases and invasive species In addition to natural changes, environmental stress caused by humans also brings problems with coral diseases and invasive species. When the environmental pressure becomes greater, such as the water temperature rises, corals are more likely to get sick. Sometimes diseases can erupt on a large scale, causing the death of the entire coral (Sheikh, 2024). Foreign creatures may also rob coral space or resources, preventing local planting from surviving and disrupting the original ecological balance. To solve these problems, we need to establish a monitoring mechanism to detect and deal with them early. Control measures must also be formulated to prevent the spread of diseases and to control the number of invasive organisms (Good and Bahr, 2021). 5 Technologies and Innovations in Coral Reef Protection and Restoration 5.1 Artificial reef construction and coral transplantation techniques Since the 1980s, people have tried to use artificial coral reefs (ARs) to help protect and restore corals. Simply put, it is to place some artificial structures in the sea so that corals and other organisms can attach to them to grow. These artificial structures can be used as “nurses” to give corals a chance to grow again. They can also provide habitat for other organisms such as fish. However, many times, due to unreasonable design or the seawater becomes hot, the effect of artificial coral reefs is not stable (Higgins et al., 2022). 5.2 Genetic engineering and research on coral heat resistance Genetic engineering and assisted evolution are becoming promising strategies to enhance coral resilience to climate change. Technologies such as selective breeding, assisted gene flow, and manipulation of coral microbiota are designed to improve coral heat resistance and compressive resistance. Although these methods are still in the research stage, they have potential in improving coral coverage and adapting to warming, although their long-term effectiveness is uncertain (DeFilippo et al., 2022). Selecting and reproducing heat-tolerant coral phenotypes is crucial because these corals are more resistant to bleaching events and contribute to future reef communities (Caruso et al., 2021). 5.3 Coral propagation and juvenile cultivation techniques Another method is to artificially cultivate coral larvae. It is to raise corals from a young age in a laboratory or breeding area and then move them back to the damaged sea area. This practice can enhance the number of corals and also make the reefs healthier. However, if you want to see obvious results, this method takes a long time and a lot of manpower investment, and it must be done on a large scale to be effective. At present, some teams are trying to develop small-scale rapid coral planting methods and have achieved some good results in small areas of water. But how to promote these methods to a larger range is still a big challenge. 5.4 Monitoring coral reefs using remote sensing and AI Now, people are starting to use a lot of new technologies to monitor and protect coral reefs. Drones, underwater robots (AUVs), and high-resolution satellite images are becoming more and more common. These tools can help us draw more accurately the location and state of coral reefs, and can also help scientists model and analyze. This is helpful for both sustainable fisheries and conservation measures. However, these technologies also have some problems. For example: The equipment is expensive and requires professional operation, and it is inconvenient to use in some places (Madin et al., 2019). Therefore, we still need to find ways to solve these obstacles so that more places can use these technologies. In addition, remote sensing technology coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) is also particularly useful for understanding coral health status and environmental changes. They can provide a large amount of real-time data that helps us make management decisions more scientifically (Wilkins et al., 2021).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==