Defining the chemistry of coral mucus for reef restoration

Corals secrete a protective slime, or mucus, from their surface tissues. This mucus is home to thousands of different microbes and plays an important role in the coral’s immune system by shielding it from infection, among other benefits. Lynette Cegelski, professor of chemistry in the School of Humanities and Sciences, specializes in quantifying chemical structures – the atoms, molecules, and bonds that enable important chemical exchanges across cell walls. In collaboration with Steve Palumbi, a professor of oceans and of biology whose team has identified heat-resistant corals around the world, Cegelski will define the chemistry of coral mucus for heat-tolerant versus heat-sensitive species under different levels of heat stress. Cegelski and Palumbi, who is also the Jane and Marshall Steel Jr. Professor in Marine Sciences, hope to learn how bleaching affects mucus composition and, ultimately, the health of corals and the reef ecosystems they comprise.