Researchers have discovered five new coral species, and the discovery dramatically changes our understanding of coral on the Great Barrier Reef and beyond.
The research by James Cook University scientists and an international team of researchers working with the Queensland Museum's CoralBank Project, has recently been published in the journal Invertebrate Systematics.
The researchers discovered five new coral species from a group commonly known as the table corals and resurrected nine previously discarded species' names.
The findings fundamentally reshape our understanding of one of the most ecologically significant corals of the Indo-Pacific, including in the Great Barrier Reef: what was originally thought to be a single coral species is now revealed to be many, with significant implications for reef conservation.
"Table corals are some of the most familiar and beautiful corals on the reef, so we assumed they were well understood," explained lead author Dr Sage Rassmussen from the University of Technology, Sydney.
"But our research reveals the opposite - what was once considered a single, widespread species is actually a whole group of species with much smaller geographical ranges."
Queensland Museum Principal Scientist and Curator of Marine Biodiversity and JCU Associate Professor Dr Peter Cowman said the study sets a new global benchmark for how scientists identify coral species.
"We combined the latest genome-scale DNA analysis and machine learning with a fresh look at century-old museum specimens to uncover evolutionary details we've never seen before," Dr Cowman said.
"It's like reading the coral's genetic history book. This allows us to identify new species with much more confidence, and it is revealing a hidden world of coral diversity that's been right in front of us all along.
The researchers compared the DNA as well as the shape of the coral skeletons from newly collected corals with historical specimens from over 20 museums across the world, and genomic data from more than 5,000 coral colonies collected and sequenced as part of Queensland Museum's CoralBank Project also played a key role.
"For this study, we were able to compare our new samples to the original 'type' specimens collected over 100 years ago," explained Museum Senior Curator of Corals and JCU Associate Professor Dr Tom Bridge.
"Without that physical reference from the collection, we would have the genetic information, but no way to assign it to the correct species. It proves that museum collections are an irreplaceable resource for understanding and protecting our natural world."
Dr Bridge and colleagues say their findings have important implications for reef management and restoration, as species with small ranges are more vulnerable to extinction, especially as coral bleaching and climate impacts intensify across the Indo-Pacific. They highlight that there is a critical need for investment in taxonomy to aid effective reef conservation and management.
The international team of scientists are from leading institutions across the Indo-Pacific and beyond, including James Cook University, the Queensland Museum, the University of Technology Sydney, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the Smithsonian Institution, the University of the Ryukyus, the University of the Philippines, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Universitas Syiah Kuala, the National University of Singapore, Coral Coast Conservation Center, Kōrero O Te 'Ōrau, and the Ministry of Fisheries, Tonga.
