HUMAN PRACTICES
Motivation & Goal
The ocean covers 70% of our Earth and sustains more than 15% of all living things on our little planet [1] [2] [3]. While ocean life may seem detached from the day-to-day worries of your metropolitan life, it undoubtedly affects you more than you can see on the surface. Within this motherlode of nature’s richest and most ecologically diverse community, a vulnerable yet extremely important species stands out to us: corals. Like the many species of marine life that depend on it, coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. It supports 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals, and hundreds of other soft coral species with a grand total of around 1 million aquatic species affected [4] [5]. Having such a critical role in the ecosystem and the livelihood of millions of lives, corals are somehow diminishing in the focus of the world while subtly dying from coral diseases and bleaching with no effective treatment. Consequently, it is our duty to ensure that our project not only covers the development of an effective treatment delivery system but to also push for such importance of corals above the monocles of the general population.
On top of this layer of reasons, three main aspects behind the constructing backbones of Human Practice serve as the key beams holding up its structural integrity. A large part of our project’s success requires the input and assistance of experts across multiple fields that interlay within our project such as marine ecology, microbial ecology, bioengineering, and biochemistry. Incorporating the input of researching pioneers in each respective field into the development and construction of our design is crucial in that it allows our project to be connected with the collective effort of the scientific community to make the world a better place. In other words, we wanted our project to be more than something that is simply unique and unattempted, but to also have this unique engineering masterpiece to be interconnected with past progress and build upon them. Therefore, we discussed and informed researchers and professors who are developing coral probiotics and their application on our project’s implementation of their works in hopes of receiving feedback or potentially providing ideas that benefit their current work in any way. Furthermore, we aimed to broaden the scope of this engagement beyond the confined science and coral research community, encompassing all stakeholders impacted by our project, including the global community. As previously established, the ocean is deeply connected with all aspects of human lives, explaining the encompassment of everyone as stakeholders.
However, it is important to recognize that certain stakeholders take precedence in correlations with our project such as governmental organizations, coral conservation organizations (including NGOs, NPOs, youth groups, etc.), coral-related industries (including the cosmetic coral industry, tourist attractions agencies, aquariums, etc.), fishermen, and private aquarium owners. That is precisely why we sought to include the first layer of stakeholders into our project when considering its implications in the real world. Thus, it can be summarized that one of the goals of our human practices is to ensure that our project is good and responsible to all that would be affected: the stakeholders. For more information, please view our Integrated Human Practices page.
With the core goal of our human practices being to elevate the importance of coral conservation within the public acknowledgment, our project increases public awareness on the issues of corals through numerous forms of informational output designed for different age groups to absorb. From physical coral and BioArt lessons for middle and high schoolers to published articles with NGO and youth groups for the young adult population, and national media outlets for the adult audience to interact and learn about our project and actions, our team dedicated synthetic biology and coral preservation educational opportunities and resources both online and physically for the continuum of our education efforts and for the reference of future efforts to build upon. To ensure that our approach to educating the public about coral conservation is effective, we’ve consulted and reviewed experienced educators from GEMS Academy and the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology to learn about successful educational methods that they have employed to educate different audiences to retain attention, specifically on the importance of corals. For more information, please visit our Education page.
Aside from the integration of the stakeholders of our project and educating the public on coral conservation, it is critical for us to ensure that our human practices are equally accessible and inclusive of everyone around the world. To do this, we followed and expanded upon the founding purpose of GEMS Academy — to create an accessible medium and opportunity to participate in iGEM and science education — to support others who experienced the same limitations to these resources as us, whether that is due to a language barrier or general inaccessibility to participate in iGEM. For more information please view the Synbio-summer camp section of our Education page. Now that our team has been given this extraordinary opportunity to better our marine world, we aim to extend the potential benefits our project can bring to the world by transforming Cure-all Reef into a product, service, and technology that is accessible and obtainable for the public’s use. However, in order to make this exchange of service sustainable, Cure-all Reef needs to take on an entrepreneurship aspect in which the profits would be directed to globalize this probiotic delivery mechanism. For more information please view our Entrepreneurship page. Entrepreneurship and commercializing are critical for the extension of Cure-all Reef’s full potential as we lack the size and assets to truly cure all reefs. We have created an extensive business plan that analyzes our market value, market competitors, economic valuation breakdown for all forms of service Cure-all Reef has to offer, relevant regulations, an extensive plan for the development of the commercialization of Cure-all Reef for the next decade, and more. All of this business plan has been reviewed and planned out with the assistance of organizations experienced in coral conservation-related SDG startups such as the Delta Foundation and Taiwan Environmental Information Association who aspire to greater cooperation in the future development of Cure-all Reef as a business. For more information about the integration of businesses into our human practices, please view our Business tab in our Integrated Human Practicespage.
Coral Public Awareness Survey
There are many unanswered questions involved within the scope of our project outside of the scientific realm that requires a designed approach to be answered. For example, how important is this issue to the public’s knowledge? What do people feel about current efforts on coral conservation? What do people feel about society’s current efforts and level of dedication put into coral conservation? These are all important questions that need to be answered for the continuum and linearizability of our project development. Due to the unique context and specificity of the questions we pose, we need a customizable approach to answering this question. To do so, we designed the Coral Public Awareness Survey (shown in the figure below) that is specifically targeted at assessing the public’s knowledge on coral bleaching, the public’s feeling on different forms of current efforts (governmental and societal) for coral conservation, and public’s preferred method on being educated in such knowledge of coral preservation and synthetic biology.
Through cluster sampling through social media, we’ve been able to mark the demographics of our audience: students, specifically high schoolers. Specifically, 89.1% of the respondents are 18 years old and under (According to Figure 1.0), with 56.3% of them being high schoolers and 34.8% of them being middle schoolers. (According to Figure 1.1) In making sure that our project is good and responsible to the world, we sought to find out the level of public awareness people hold of corals. By doing so, we are also able to further quantify the impacts of our project on society. We found that 21.8% of the people have never heard of coral bleaching and an additional 41.0% of people don’t feel confident in explaining the cause of coral bleaching, demonstrating an extreme deficit to proper understanding of corals that needs to be reified. (According to Figure 1.2) Furthermore, 52.1% of the people believe that the corals in Taiwan are in a critical state (According to Figure 1.4), with 84.5% of people believing that the general public has not been putting in enough effort or any effort at all towards coral conservation and relevant topics. (According to Figure 1.7) This severe lack of confidence in current efforts and the level of awareness that people hold in coral conservation reflects the lacking but necessary measures for promoting our project and other current efforts toward protecting corals. Interestingly, 89.8% of people believe that the government’s current policy and actions for coral conservation already demonstrate sufficient effort being put in, with 26.4% of those people specifically believing that the government lacks support for non-governmental organizations’ efforts in promoting and protecting corals. (According to Figure 1.5) The high support and inclination to the government’s current course of action for coral conservation is primarily due to its image of high professionalism and credibility. This goes to show the importance of integrating professionals in the science realm into our project to establish credibility to amplify our other human practices efforts such as our educational efforts.
From the results of the survey, our team has identified a couple of critical issues that required addressing: the lack of awareness of corals and knowledge about coral conservation, the need for integration of the science community into our project, the need for a marketized and sustainable solution to support non-governmental coral conservation efforts, and the lack of societal efforts in coral and environmental conservation. As a team, we decided to construct the backbones of our human practices according to these problems that need to be addressed. Our education plan would be tailored to raising awareness of coral conservation and the importance of corals to our audience of the youth in hopes of raising societal efforts in conservation by serving as an inspiration to others. The integrated human practices of integrating experts from the fields of science, business, and ethics to ensure that our project is well-sophisticated to raise credibility in our actions and also ensure that our project is good and responsible for the world. Our entrepreneurship plans and commercialization of Cure-all Reef are to create a sustainable method in sharing the technology and solution we’ve developed for the rapid deaths of corals to the global stage. Furthermore, the commercialization of Cure-all Reef provides an alternative source of support other than the government which allows these organizations to kickstart their own long-term projects in curing all reefs.
As demonstrated above, the survey serves as the main source of motivation and inspiration for the human practices that we’ve done and is intricately tied with every step of the efforts to involve and interact with society through our project.
Figure 1.0: Survey results for the demographic of the respondents in a pie chart format.
Figure 1.1: Distribution of the highest education of the respondents.
Figure 1.2: Distribution of respondents that are aware of coral bleaching.
Figure 1.3: Distribution of confidence in the respondent’s ability to explain coral bleaching.
Figure 1.4: Awareness of the respondents regarding the current state of corals in Taiwan.
Figure 1.5: Respondent’s opinion on the efforts of the Taiwanese government.
Figure 1.6: The preference of respondents for the teaching methods.
Figure 1.7: The respondents’ opinions on the efforts of Taiwan in supporting corals.
Figure 1.8: The respondents’ comfort in GMOs released in the wild for coral conservation efforts.
Figure 1.9: The respondents’ opinion about our team using GMOs for coral conservation efforts on a scale of 1-5.
References
[1] US Department of Commerce, N. O. and A. A. (2018, October 22). How much water is in the ocean?. NOAA’s National Ocean Service. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html
[2] Zhang, S. (2017b, July 12). Why are there so many more species on land when the sea is bigger? The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/why-are-there-so-many-more-species-on-land-than-in-the-sea/533247/
[3] Zhang, S. (2017a, July 12). Why are there so many more species on land when the sea is bigger? The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/07/why-are-there-so-many-more-species-on-land-than-in-the-sea/533247
[4] Adoptez UN Corail. Coral Guardian. (2022, August 9). https://www.coralguardian.org/en/coral-reef-important/
[5] US Department of Commerce, N. O. and A. A. (2013, June 1). The importance of coral reefs - corals: NOAA’s National Ocean Service Education. Corals Tutorial. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral07_importance.html
[6] Basic information about coral reefs | US EPA. (n.d.). https://www.epa.gov/coral-reefs/basic-information-about-coral-reefs
Integrated Human Practice
The success of our project depends on the involvement and collaboration of individuals both inside and outside the scientific community. Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of close to half a billion people depends on coral reefs, we find it our duty to ensure that our project considers all that are involved. As high school students, we also recognize our lack of knowledge and expertise; this realization led us to actively seek guidance from seasoned experts in order to realize our newly found mission to aid in coral conservation.
While seeking guidance, our team focused on three main areas of expertise: Science, Ethics, and Business. For Science, we communicated our conceptualized theory to experts and professors from various fields to ensure that our ideas, experiments, and final products are viable at every stage. This helps us avoid wasting time and ensures efficient and accurate progress. For Ethics, we recognized the potential risks of our product and pursued experts who could properly inform us of our project’s ethical concerns. Not only so, understanding the public’s perception of our product also plays a big part as coral conservation is a global effort that requires collective awareness. For Business, we consulted with SDG (sustainable development goals) focused companies with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) related products in order to preview what our product could potentially look like on the market; this helped us greatly in our entrepreneurship efforts outlined in Enterpreneurship page.
Science
Dr. Blake Ushijima
Fig.1 The online call we conducted with Dr. Blake Ushijima and his team.
After conducting several literature reviews, our team was propelled to address the pressing issue of coral reef extinction. We concluded that coral reefs play a crucial role in maintaining the equilibrium of our ecosystem. Following the conceptualization of our idea, we validated our theory with Dr. Blake Ushijima, who investigated the causative agents behind SCTLD, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, as well as the development of probiotic treatments to protect dying corals. The paper titled "Chemical and Genomic Characterization of a Potential Probiotic Treatment for Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease" was one of our first sources of inspiration [1]. This paper focuses on the probiotic treatment that is beneficial to corals with SCTLD, shedding light on the significant challenges of accessing coral tissue loss disease due to its lethality and contagious nature. Dr. Ushijima advised us to avoid focusing solely on one type of probiotic, as different coral species under different stress types require different probiotics. He further advised us to select a specific coral strain and stress to focus on, which led to the development of our solution. Our solution became a general biofilm-producing bacteria (SAR11) that acts as a temporary, biodegradable glue, which attaches any mix of probiotics. This is dissimilar to our original idea of engineering the probiotics themselves to produce biofilm. Dr. Ushijima’s guidance and expertise were instrumental in shaping our research and development, and his invaluable insights greatly accelerated our progress toward finding a viable solution to combat coral reef extinction.
Dr. Hsuan-Chen Wu
Fig.2 Our first online call with Dr. Hsuan-Chen Wu, who broadened our knowledge and provided helpful insights on our project.
Following the completion of the construct design and experiment planning, we conducted our experimental work within Dr. Hsuan-Chen Wu's laboratory. Dr. Wu is a distinguished expert in the field of synthetic biology at National Taiwan University. We inquired Dr. Wu about the details of the cloning cycle and strategies for designing constructs. Following multiple unsuccessful attempts of amplifying PCR and overlapping PCR, we arranged a troubleshooting session with Dr. Wu. During this session, Dr. Wu suggested we validate our protocols for using Q5 polymerase and Gibson Assembly, specifically looking at the manufacturing protocol rather than the general protocol circulating online. In addition, Dr. Wu advised us to form a concrete plan for redesigning all our primers, as it was highly likely that our previous experimental failures were attributed to issues with primer adherence. Therefore, we proceeded to redesign and reorder our primers, and this decision proved to be successful, as our primary construct had successfully transformed into our bacteria.
Dr. Sen-Lin Tang
Fig.3 Our physical meetup with Dr. Sen-Lin Tang regarding our probiotic delivery method.
To assess the feasibility of our probiotic delivery mechanism application method, we sought the expertise of Dr. Sen-Lin Tang, a renowned academic from the Academia Sinica, specializing in Marine Microbial Ecology, Coral Reef Microbes, Microbial Genomics, Metagenomics, and Computational Microbiology. Initially, our team selected Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea, a marine bacterium that stimulates the metamorphosis of marine animal larvae, to minimize potential harm to coexisting microorganisms in the ecosystem. However, during our meeting with Dr. Tang, he strongly suggested a closer examination of coral exoskeletons, highlighting two key issues we overlooked: corals do not absorb external substances through their exoskeletons, and they secrete protective coral mucus. In response, we shifted from Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea to SAR11, a marine bacterium commonly consumed by corals, enabling them to view our engineered SAR11 as food and consume both the bacteria and probiotics. Additionally, we explored various delivery methods and received Dr. Tang’s endorsement for using AI-driven robots to precisely deliver our product to coral colonies. Furthermore, Dr. Tang encouraged us to conduct a public awareness survey on coral, aiming to gauge public opinion and foster ethical understanding, as detailed in the Ethics section. Dr. Sen-Lin Tang’s invaluable pieces of advice are influential in addressing scientific, technical, and ethical aspects of our project, from bacterium selection and delivery method endorsement to ethical considerations and problem identification, making him a crucial figure in the research team's efforts.
Dr. Lone Høj
Fig.4 Our online meeting with Dr. Lone Høj to gain more insights on the SAR11 bacteria and corals.
In our quest to delve deeper into coral research and gain a comprehensive understanding of SAR11, we decided to seek guidance from Dr. Lone Høj to further broaden our knowledge and refine our delivery mechanism. Dr. Lone Høj, a microbial ecologist specializing in coral diet development and the cultivation of probiotics for coral reef restoration through aquaculture, reviewed our engineered SAR11 approach during the meeting. She endorsed our concept while emphasizing the importance of ensuring scalability for our robotic delivery system. One crucial point raised by Dr. Høj was the importance of minimizing the impact of our engineered bacteria on the coral microbiome. She proposed conducting controlled assessments using metagenomic analyses to monitor potential microbiome effects resulting from our probiotic biofilm solution. This step would help us minimize unintended consequences on the coral microbiome. Furthermore, Dr. Høj stressed the necessity for closely monitoring manipulated corals for changes in growth, survival, and environmental resilience, to ensure the long-term success of our restoration efforts. It was clear from her insights that Dr. Hoj is enthusiastic and optimistic about our project's success. In our second meeting with Dr. Høj, to evaluate our improved designs, she again provided valuable insights regarding the optimal delivery methods for our probiotics. She suggested two options: using coral feed solid pellets or a coral spray, with the choice depending on factors such as coral shape, reliance on photosynthesis, and current conditions. While she didn't definitively favor one method, her comments leaned towards the effectiveness of a spray, given its potential in large-scale application. First, Dr. Høj recommended testing the optimal amount of probiotic application to avoid disruption of the coral environment by deterring unwanted organisms. She also stressed the importance of considering environmental stressors, such as heat waves, when scheduling probiotic applications via our robot, to minimize costs and maximize effectiveness. In terms of the co-culture and the project’s further development, Dr. Høj proposed evaluating the interaction between different probiotics and SAR11, our engineered bacteria that produce biofilm. Understanding this interaction is crucial, as it could significantly impact the effectiveness of our probiotic delivery mechanism. In summary, our meetings with Dr. Lone Høj have provided invaluable guidance on various aspects of our coral restoration project, from delivery methods and microbiome effects to environmental considerations and probiotic interactions. Her expertise and enthusiasm have significantly contributed to our project's success.
Dr. David Bourne
Fig.5 Our online meeting with Dr. David Bourne regarding the feasibility and possible concerns of our project
Lastly, we arranged a meeting with Dr. David Bourne, to consult him about the feasibility of our project. Dr. David Bourne, a professor and researcher at James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science, centers his research on understanding microbial interactions with corals and investigating coral pathogens and disease mechanisms, particularly in the context of reef degradation by climate change. In one of the papers, Dr. Bourne, along with other researchers, introduced the term BMC, which stands for "Beneficial Microorganisms for Corals." BMC describes symbiotic microorganisms that promote coral health. The review explores the mechanisms by which BMCs support coral health and suggests their potential use in manipulating the coral microbiome to restore and protect coral reefs in the face of environmental challenges. The paper also calls for further research to better understand the role of coral-associated microorganisms in both healthy and disrupted conditions, as well as their potential as "probiotics" for corals. This research paper was pivotal in shaping our project, making it one of the most significant sources of inspiration. During the meeting, Dr. Bourne raised several important questions, including how to address the regeneration of mucus that could affect our application mechanism, the choice of probiotic strain and its impact on feasibility, and the necessity of selecting a specific coral species as our target. This is what led us to select reef-building corals. Furthermore, we found out that reef-building corals’ mucus regeneration rate is around 5 of mucus per square meter of reef area per day, which confirms sufficient time for our probiotics and biofilm to integrate into the coral holobiont (coral microbiome). Lastly, we opted for a more feasible application by switching the probiotic strain to a solid coral feed. Dr. David Bourne's expertise, research contributions, and valuable insights have played a pivotal role in shaping the project. His work on BMCs and his guidance during the meeting have been instrumental in defining the project's goals, methods, and direction, making him a key collaborator in the effort to restore and protect coral reefs.
National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST)
Fig.6 Logo of National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST)
Fig.7 In-person visit to the NMMST.
During our visit to the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST), we had the privilege of meeting Dr. Yu-Hung Tsai, a coral conservation expert. He shared many valuable insights on current solutions to combating coral diseases and gave suggestions on how to optimize our delivery mechanism. He also demonstrated numerous educational materials they used for educating the public, such as crocheted coral hats, coral structures, and a crocheted marine ecological environment (all forms of BioArt). From that meeting, we gained deeper insight into the science of corals, including their diseases, anatomy, and more. Equipped with this new knowledge about corals and their ecosystem, we formulated a viable implementation for our delivery mechanism, eventually resulting in the development of a liquid probiotic spray. Moreover, our journey towards teaching BioArt began with a transformative visit to the NMMST, where we first encountered the captivating world of BioArt and were able to participate in an environment-themed BioArt exhibition. This visit inspired us to organize the iGEM SynBio Summer Camp, emphasizing our commitment to spreading knowledge about coral conservation by utilizing BioArt as an educational tool that appeals to the youth. Our visit to the NMMST fostered in us a profound appreciation for Taiwan's two-decade-long journey in coral restoration efforts and the museum's innovative outreach methods through BioArt. These experiences shaped our belief that BioArt is a valuable addition to our curriculum as it allowed us to engage and educate young minds in a unique and impactful way. For more information, please visit our Educationpage.
References
[1] Ushijima, B., Gunasekera, S. P., Meyer, J. L., Tittl, J., Pitts, K. A., Thompson, S., Sneed, J. M., Ding, Y., Chen, M., Jay Houk, L., Aeby, G. S., Häse, C. C., & Paul, V. J. (2023, April 6). Chemical and genomic characterization of a potential probiotic treatment for stony coral tissue loss disease. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04590-y
The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA)
Fig.6 Logo of National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST)
In the process of developing our project, one question frequented us through our surveys and interviews: "What are the ethical concerns and political challenges we will face when implementing our project in the real world, specifically in Taiwan?". To answer that question, we established an important line of communication with The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA) in Taiwan. The OCA is a government organization that is responsible for a wide range of marine conservation activities. It oversees the protection of marine ecosystems, conservation of diverse marine life, integration of marine protected areas, management of marine resources (excluding fishing), pollution prevention and control, coastal and marine management, marine conservation education, and many other related affairs. Through this interaction, we gained invaluable perspectives and insights that highlighted the moral concerns surrounding our project. We learned from our interview with the OCA that there are complex legal issues involved with many coral species. It's important to have a deep understanding of these legal nuances to navigate the ethical boundaries of our research responsibly. Moving forward, we must gather more data that proves the benefits of our product on coral health. This factual evidence is necessary to obtain the necessary approvals for any future actions. During our interview with the OCA, we also learned about the significance of involving different groups of individuals such as enthusiasts, professionals, and members of the general public in coral conservation efforts. It was emphasized that this would lead to greater awareness, shared responsibility, and active cooperation with authorities. Notably, around 70% of conservation work is outsourced in Taiwan, which adds an interesting ethical dimension. This could potentially lead to socioeconomic benefits by creating meaningful employment opportunities and encouraging local involvement in coral conservation.
After the interview, our project's ethical importance is strengthened by our discussion with the OCA. We need to continue to ensure that our actions are guided by a comprehensive ethical framework, which involves navigating the legal system, promoting inclusivity, and fostering active participation.
Dr. Sen-Lin Tang
During our discussion, Dr. Tang raised ethical concerns about our project, specifically regarding the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the ocean. To address these concerns, we conducted a Human Practice survey to measure public opinion and promote a common ethical understanding. Our study aims to bridge the gap between innovation and ethics while welcoming different perspectives.
Coral Public Awareness Survey
Based on insights from the OCA and Dr. Tang, we've taken proactive steps to prioritize transparency, inclusivity, and ethical responsibility. As part of our innovative approach to preserving corals using genetically modified organisms (GMOs), we've integrated key survey questions (Coral Public Awareness Survey) to ensure public sentiment aligns with our mission. One crucial question we ask is whether individuals in Taiwan are comfortable with our use of GMOs in the marine environment to preserve corals. This helps us understand whether the public has a consensus over our use of GMOs, and any concerns that might exist in the community. To better understand public opinion, we adopted a quantitative approach by asking participants to rate their level of comfort on a scale of 1 to 5. This method effectively captures a broad range of emotions, guiding our project direction and ethical decisions. By including these inquiries, we honor public opinion and promote an informed and inclusive decision-making process. We aim to incorporate specific questions to acknowledge and value the public's input and enhance an informed and inclusive decision-making process. Our ethical framework for the project will rely on the insights we gather from these inquiries as we strive to safeguard and sustain the coral ecosystems.
Our survey received responses from over 300 individuals, with 81.9% of them being under 18 years old. The insights gathered from the survey had a significant impact on our project.
According to these two charts, many people recognize the dire situation of coral reefs in Taiwan and believe that more should be done to protect them. Despite this knowledge, no significant steps have been taken to address the issue, which is why our team is motivated to take action and help revive the dying coral reefs in our oceans.
In our survey, we included a crucial question about using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in coral conservation, specifically asking for people's opinions on the matter. The results revealed that 71% of the younger generation feel comfortable with the use of GMOs, indicating a shift in the general attitude towards GMOs and synbio. We aim to capitalize on this trend by focusing on engaging with the youth. The survey also showed that only 15.5% of respondents expressed discomfort with the idea, demonstrating a willingness to explore new approaches.
We also asked about preferred teaching methods, and over half of the respondents preferred learning through BioArt over traditional lectures. This reinforced the effectiveness of BioArt as a creative teaching tool, motivating us to develop a BioArt lesson during our iGEM Syn-Bio Summer Camp. Visit our Education page for more information on iGEM Syn-Bio Summer Camp).
The Marine Ecology Art Research Institute
Fig.9 Logo of the Marine Ecology Art Research Institute
Fig.10 Online Meeting with The Marine Ecology Art Institute
Since the Coral Public Awareness survey results showed that over half of the respondents preferred learning through BioArt over traditional lectures, we decided to dive deeper into this area of expertise. Therefore, we organized an online meeting with The Marine Ecology Art Research Institute to explore innovative approaches that seamlessly integrate science and art in the education of biology and corals. Our survey results prompted us to delve deeper into BioArt as a way of educating teens and motivating more people to learn about science through BioArt. We also explored the unique approach of the Marine Ecology Art Research Institute, which seamlessly integrates marine biology and art, with a team comprising members who share a passion for both disciplines. They welcome collaborations to infuse art into their ecological teachings and work on enhancing the visual aspects of conservation projects, even though their primary focus is not conservation. For high school students interested in ecological art, joining art clubs and participating in school activities is a great way to start, given the scarcity of dedicated ecological art institutions in Taiwan. It's essential to establish clear objectives for their endeavors and utilize scientific literature as a valuable resource.
The institute recognizes that not all digital innovations in BioArt represent significant advancements in the field, but the institute emphasizes the current trend of BioArt, particularly its focus on ocean waste recycling. While they have engaged with a considerable number of students, they cannot provide exact figures. Their journey into this field began in museums, where they developed a fascination with species, fossils, and natural history. As students themselves, they encourage others to draw inspiration from existing work and understand that the artistic dimension in the realm of biology is inherently subjective.
Shalun Beach Cleanup
Fig.11 Beach cleanup at Shalun Beach with over 85 volunteers.
Our team decided to host a beach cleanup at Shalun Beach. Beach cleaning supports the preservation of coral reefs by lowering pollution, limiting physical harm, safeguarding marine life, maintaining water quality, and increasing awareness. By acting as essential habitats, quality beaches promote the resilience of coral reefs. Beach cleanup campaigns are essential for protecting coral reefs and the ecosystems that surround them. Reflecting on our recent beach cleanup event in Taiwan (August 14th, 2023), we are truly heartened by the impact that we were able to make. Our local initiative to clean the beach and protect the fragile marine ecosystem displayed the power of community action and unity.
Fig.12 Beach cleanup with international volunteer from Spain.
Through the help of volunteers, friends, and team members from all across Taiwan, we picked up a significant amount of garbage and debris from the beach. We had a special encounter with a woman named Monica who came from Spain for a one-week vacation in Taiwan. She saw our promotion about the beach cleanup and joined the beach cleanup with her own prepared equipment. Her presence showed that our human practices effort was able to reach individuals beyond our local community.

However, this event has also underscored the significance of a global approach to environmental conservation. While our cleanup resonated locally (and globally to a slight degree), our mission to safeguard coral reefs and the marine environment requires a broader effort. Therefore, we are calling on individuals worldwide who share our passion for marine conservation to help us with this mission. By joining forces across the globe, we can amplify our impact, raise awareness about the pressing challenges faced by coral reefs, and contribute to a sustainable future for these invaluable ecosystems.
Panchi Coral Company
Fig.13 Logo of Panchi Coral Company
Our team is aware of the challenges posed by strict government regulations aimed at safeguarding coral reefs, therefore we went to visit Panchi Coral Company. From them, we learned that to protect shallow-water corals, we must adhere to specific harvesting seasons, maintain detailed records, and undergo rigorous inspections. During our meeting with Panchi Coral Company, we presented the concepts of our idea and products in hopes of receiving sample feedback on our product design from a large-scale coral company like Panchi. Panchi CEO, Yan Qingzhen, expressed that our coral spray would have great utility in its business for maintaining its coral farms and consistent quality-supply for corals. They expressed their belief in the great potential for growth and opportunities in our project’s industry in value, both globally and locally, given that the product’s utility extends beyond just Panchi Co., Ltd, but the whole of the coral market. Through discussions with Panchi Co., Ltd, we were able to understand the demands of large coral-related companies and formulate a more aligned business plan.
Taiwan Environmental Information Association (TEIA)
Fig.14 Logo of TEIA
Fig.15 Online meeting with TEIA
The Taiwan Environmental Information Association is an independent organization with the mission of creating an inclusive environmental conservation community with a low entry barrier. It has an established independent media that seeks to encourage the public on ocean and forest protection. On top of that, TEIA hosts civil and non-governmental environmental movements and projects that allow the public to participate. Since TEIA’s mission aligns with the goal of our human practices and has adequate experience in environmental conservation projects in areas that are similar to Cure-all Reefs, TEIA would be able to provide the proper guidance for the implementation of this project in the world, specifically Taiwan.
Through contacting TEIA’s Chief Director of Coral Reef Check and Coral Restoration, Hsuan-Chou Chen, we were able to set a meeting with both Mr. Chen and Ms. Jude Lin, an expert in marine biology who is a part of the Coral Watch project, both who are experienced divers in coral restoration. We learned about the current situation of corals in Taiwan and the dilemmas that conservation/restoration efforts face. Explicitly, they both expressed the public’s severe lack of awareness on the subject of corals dying and the potential actions that could be taken. They further explained that this lack of awareness causes there to be a lack of official governmental action and funding all around, part of which is included in the motivation (include hyperlink) behind our education efforts.
We introduced and proposed our project as a solution to combat this problem in the status quo in hopes of receiving feedback on the potential regulations for releasing GMOs into Taiwanese Waters and the logistics behind the potential application. Regarding the regulation, their response aligns with the Taiwan OCA’s response in that there are no current standing restrictions against GMO use in products such as coral spray. The logistics. See more on our Enterpreneurship page. page of the product, however, required more consideration than the potential GMO regulations. To be able to apply our product, there needs to be a thorough assessment of the area of corals affected and plan out the diving distribution and time needed for application per surface area unit. The time needed for the coral spray to be applied per surface area unit needs to be accounted for since there’s a rough half-hour limit between every exchange of oxygen tank according to the divers. We considered all these concerns when developing our products from the underwater coral spray’s efficiency and the hardware designed to severe the labor dependency aspect of the application.
Delta Electronics Foundation (DELTA)
Fig. 16 Logo of Delta Electronics Foundation (DELTA)
Fig. 17 CEO of Delta Electronics Foundation (DELTA), Wim Chang
Delta Electronics Foundation is dedicated to combatting climate change through scientific research, innovation, and action, including climate analysis, the promotion of clean technology, and engagement in conservation projects, all aimed at leading the fight against climate change and involving stakeholders in meaningful climate action. As a global industry leader, Delta has collaborated with the Oceanographic Institute in Keelung, Taiwan, to restore coral reefs impacted by global warming and over-tourism. Their successful propagation and transplantation of nearly a thousand corals highlight their commitment to environmental sustainability. Delta's proactive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, think tank, and innovative carbon pricing system demonstrate their determination to transform challenges into opportunities, including investments in green technologies and participation in international climate conferences like COP 27 alongside governments like Spain. These actions firmly establish Delta as a sustainability-focused industry giant.
Acknowledging how Delta already has a strong foundation in marine, more specifically, coral conservation, which serves as the bedrock upon which our ambitious project is built. Our team recognized the urgency of coral preservation and decided to take action. Therefore, we reached out to the CEO of the Delta Electronics Foundation, Wim Chang, for Delta is one of the large global corporations that share our passion for marine ecosystems. Delta’s willingness to respond to us marks a pivotal moment in our journey to transform this idea into a tangible reality. Together we discussed the concept of our project and future aspects of it, allowing the window of collaboration to open in the future. Our project is no longer a mere concept; it is a concrete vision ready to be realized. The participation of this massive corporation is crucial to firmly establish our project. It is not just any corporation, but a colossal company in our stakeholder network. Delta’s commitment to our cause guarantees that our project will evolve from a nascent idea into a reputable institution. So far, we've mainly focused on local marine conservation, Delta's recognition, however, allows us to make a global impact and save coral reefs worldwide.
HP Timeline
4/20
Professor Blake Ushijima (Science)
Dr. Ushijima is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). His lab focuses on probiotic treatments for disease, habitat restoration, and microbe-microbe antagonism mechanisms. He earned his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, researching coral-infecting bacterial pathogens. His postdoc work at Oregon State University centered on oyster pathogens and probiotics. As a George Burch Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Marine Station, he led research on stony coral tissue loss disease, contributing to the Coral Health and Marine Probiotics Lab. His efforts there included developing probiotics to counter the Caribbean's stony coral tissue loss disease outbreak. Check out the Science section to see how Dr. Blake Ushijima has assisted us throughout the project.
5/20
SDA17 Article
Check out our Education Page for more information.
7/10
The Ocean Conservation Administration (OCA)
In 2018, Taiwan established the "Ocean Affairs Council" ministry and its affiliated "Department of Ocean Conservation," focusing on marine preservation. Guided by transparency, collaboration, and science, the department connects conservation and public engagement while assessing Taiwan's marine changes. pursues goals like "Clean Water," "Healthy Habitat," and "Sustainable Resource" (CHS) through systematic solutions, aiming to secure clean oceans and resources for future generations. The department's responsibilities span marine protection, biodiversity conservation, protected areas, resource management , pollution control, coastal management, education, and more.
7/18
The Marine Ecology Art Research Institute [Visits]
Check out the Visits section above to see what we did with the Marine Ecology Art Research Institute.
7/20
Dr. Hsuan-Chen Wu [Science]
Dr. Hsuan-Chen Wu is a leading expert in synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, fabrication, and biomaterials. His work spans cellular reprogramming, quorum sensing switches, autonomous protein expression systems, RNAi, and bio-inspired assembly techniques, including bio-nanotechnology. He has also made significant contributions to biomaterials, particularly in the development of spider silk and stimuli-responsive natural materials for tissue engineering scaffolds. Check out the Science section to see how Dr. Hsuan-Chen Wu has assisted us throughout the project.
7/23
Street Interview [Education]
Check out our Education Page for more information.
7/25
National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST) [Visits]
Check out the Visits section above to see what we did with the ​​National Museum of Marine Science and Technology (NMMST)
7/29
Student Gaze Article [Education]
Check out our Education Page for more information.
7/31
iGEM Syn-Bio Summer Camp [Education]
Check out our Education Page for more information.
8/1
Professor Tang
Dr. Sen-Lin Tang, a distinguished Marine Microbial Ecology and Microbial Genomics expert. Dr. Tang currently holds the position of Deputy Director at the Biodiversity Research Center in Academia Sinica, where he has previously served in roles such as Associate and Assistant Researcher. With a Ph.D. from the University of Melbourne and a solid educational background from National Taiwan University and National Chung-Hsing University, Dr. Tang's contributions to understanding the dynamics of marine microbial ecosystems and their impact on the environment are groundbreaking. His expertise in multi-source genomics, bioinformatics, and environmental virology provides invaluable insights into the world of marine microbes and their pivotal role in our ecosystems. Check out the Science and Ethics section above to see how Dr. Sen-Lin Tang has assisted us throughout the project.
8/2
Professor Lone Hoj
Professor Lone Hoj, a microbial ecologist, has researched diverse environments from the Arctic to the Great Barrier Reef. At the Australian Institute of Marine Science, she studied aquaculture-related microbiology, focusing on tropical rock lobster larvae and their surroundings. She developed tools for pathogen identification, investigated the Vibrio owensii pathogen, and pioneered management techniques like ozonation and probiotics. She's now working on safe biocontrol methods for Crown-of-thorn starfish and developing coral diets and probiotics for reef restoration in aquaculture. Check out the Science section to see how Dr. Lone Hoj has assisted us throughout the project.
8/11
Dr. Bourne
Professor David Bourne is a specialist in Molecular Microbial Ecology. He earned his Ph.D. in 1997, focusing on microbial degradation of cyanobacterial toxins. His subsequent Postdoctoral roles included studying terrestrial methanotroph ecology at the University of Warwick (UK) and marine microbiology at Bergen University (Norway). At AIMS, he engaged in various projects, including exploring marine microbes for drug discovery and studying microbial dynamics in aquaculture larval rearing systems, with a focus on Rock Lobster. His current primary research is centered around coral microbiology and disease. Check out the Science section to see how Dr. David Bourne has assisted us throughout the project.
8/12
HP Survey
Check out the Ethics section above to see what results we concluded for our survey.
8/16
Beach Cleanup [Visits]
Check out the Visits section above to see what we did on that day at the beautiful Shalun Beach.
8/17
Panchi Coral Company [Business]
Check out the Business section above to see what we did with the Panchi Coral Company.
9/5
Taiwan Environmental Information Association (TEIA) [Business]
Check out the Business section above to see what we did with the Taiwan Environmental Information Association (TEIA).
9/15
Delta Electronics Foundation (DELTA) [Business]
Check out the Business section above to see what we did with Delta Electronics Foundation (DELTA).
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