Inside temperature-controlled chambers at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, rows of liquid nitrogen tanks are preserving a diverse array of vibrant corals from the Great Barrier Reef, frozen in time.
This is the world's largest cryogenically frozen coral bank, considered a frozen version of 'Noah's Ark' for this endangered ecosystem.
Scientists warn that without timely action on climate change, coral ecosystems could be the first to disappear.
During the annual mass spawning event, researchers collect trillions of cells from dozens of key coral species across the Great Barrier Reef to provide a potential remedy for future restoration of damaged and degraded corals.
Emily O'Brien, head of conservation science at the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, said, "We can effectively pause their biological clock."
She told AFP, "I hope our collective efforts can help preserve the Great Barrier Reef's beautiful diversity."
Since the coral project began in 2011, Taronga Zoo's frozen diversity bank has been involved in the annual collection of coral reproduction events; when corals release eggs and sperm into the water for spawning, researchers take samples to be preserved.
O'Brien noted, "We can keep these samples indefinitely... you can thaw them years later, decades later, or even centuries later, and they will still retain their fertility ability as when collected."
Scientists predict that with global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, about 70% to 90% of the world's coral reefs could disappear, which would be a major disaster for humanity and the entire planet.