ICRS International Coral Reef Society

@icrs

Principal association of coral reef scientists, managers, and enthusiasts worldwide. To promote acquisition & dissemination of scientific knowledge to secure coral reefs for future generations through reserach, education, policy. linktr.ee/icrs.links

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ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 20d

📅 It's the last day of ICRS 2026! After an inspiring week of science, collaboration, and connection, there's still plenty to experience! Oral presentation details: innovators-icrs2026programme.eventsairsite.com

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 21d

📅 Check out today’s schedule for ICRS 2026 – 23 July! Plan your day with inspiring talks, oral and poster presentations, and don't miss tonight's Conference Banquet, proudly sponsored by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)! 🌊🪸 Programme: innovators-icrs2026programme.eventsairsite.com

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 22d

📅 Check out today’s schedule for #ICRS2026 – 22 July! Plan your day, explore the latest coral reef science, and connect with the global reef community. Programme & session details: innovators-icrs2026programme.eventsairsite.com 🌊🪸

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 22d

📢 ICRS General Meeting All ICRS members are invited to attend the International Coral Reef Society General Meeting during ICRS 2026. Learn about the Society's achievements over the past four years, hear about future plans, and connect with fellow members. We look forward to seeing you there!

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 23d

📅 Here's what's on at #ICRS2026 today – 21 July! Join us for another day of plenary sessions, oral presentations, film screening, and opportunities to connect with the global coral reef community. Programme & session details: innovators-icrs2026programme.eventsairsite.com 🌊🪸

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 24d

📅 Check out today’s schedule for ICRS 2026 - 20 July! Today’s programme features plenary sessions, oral presentations, poster sessions, and more. For oral presentation locations and session details, visit: innovators-icrs2026programme.eventsairsite.com

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 24d

📅 Today’s schedule for ICRS 2026, 19 July! Remember to collect your name badge today and wear it throughout the event and don’t miss the Welcome Function, sponsored by the Waitt Foundation! We look forward to seeing you there! 🌊🪸

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· 29d

Attending ICRS 2026? We'd love to see ICRS 2026 through your eyes! Share your favorite moments, discoveries, presentations, and new connections with us. Tag us and use #ICRS2026 so we can find your posts and share our favorites! We can't wait to see your ICRS experience!

A dark blue background featuring a branching coral pattern in a lighter shade of blue. In the center, there is a camera icon. Below the icon, the text “Going to ICRS 2026?” appears in dark blue, followed by “Share your conference moments with us!” in white. At the bottom, the phrase “Tag us and use #ICRS2026” is displayed in bold white text. Behind the icons and text, there is a light blue highlight that creates contrast and emphasis.

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Jul 11

Come join us for the ICRS General Meeting during the 2026 ICRS Conference! Date: Tuesday the 21st of July Time: Lunch, 12:15pm – 1:45pm Location: Room 302 of the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) See you there!

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Jun 29

We’re looking for ICRS members and non-members to write a brief report for Reef Encounter about their conference experience. Interested? Please contact Deb Gochfeld (gochfeld@olemiss.edu) and/or Rupert Ormond (rupert.ormond.mci@gmail.com) now!

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Jun 1

🪸 Happy World Reef Day! Here are some of our favourite coral reef documentaries released recently — the ones that stopped us in our tracks and reminded us exactly why this work matters. What film or documentary has reignited your love for coral reefs and the ocean lately? Share it in the comments! 🎬

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· May 27

Missed out on a banquet ticket for ICRS? Sign up for the ACRS X ICRS Mixer! There'll be a DJ and dance floor, reef-themed trivia and snack platters. Sign up before 1 June before tickets are sold out! 📍 Lula Inn, Auckland 📅 Thursday 23rd July 🕕 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Apr 23

We are proud to celebrate the recipients of this year’s ICRS awards 🪸🏆 Each recognition reflects not only scientific excellence, but also dedication, collaboration, and meaningful contributions to to coral reef science and conservation. Congratulations to all awardees!

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Apr 14

📢 Don’t forget to register as a presenter before the deadline. We look forward to seeing you in New Zealand!

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Apr 2

ICRS will provide over $250,000 in travel support to help ensure broader participation from researchers around the world. If you’re eligible, make sure to check the details in this post and don’t miss the remaining grant opportunities. We hope to see you in New Zealand🪸

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Mar 25

Congratulations to Prof. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg on being awarded the Darwin Medal. Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg's work has been instrumental in shifting scientific, public, and policy discourse toward recognising the existential threat that climate change poses to coral reefs.

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Mar 19

A coral the size of half a soccer field?! 👀🪸 This 111-meter-long giant was just discovered on the Great Barrier Reef, and there’s a lot more behind this finding than meets the eye. See the full post to learn more! 📸 BioPixel | Citizens of the Reef

Photograph of an extensive Pavona clavus coral colony, predominantly white, with branching structures showing subtle shades of light gray and brown. Various colorful fish swim around it, alongside other benthic organisms nearby. In the background, the colony continues, emphasizing its large size. At the top of the image, the text reads ‘111m-long coral colony found on Great Barrier Reef’. Image credits: BioPixel and Citizens of the Reef.

Slide with a blue background at the top featuring bullet points that read: ‘At 111 metres long with an area of 3973 m², it’s about the size of half a soccer pitch! This coral, of the species Pavona clavus, found off the coast of Cairns, is now the largest documented and mapped coral on the planet. It was discovered by Sophie Kalkowski-Pope and her mother, Jan Pope, citizen scientists surveying the reef as part of the Great Reef Census. Scientists have now built a 3D model of the colony to monitor its health into the future.’ Below the text, a close-up image shows the Pavona clavus colony, predominantly white, with branching structures displaying subtle shades of light gray and brown, patches of calcareous algae on some branches, nearby soft corals, and colorful fish. In the background, the colony continues into the distance. Image credits: BioPixel and Citizens of the Reef.

Slide with a light blue background at the top and a dark blue title that reads ‘How has it survived?’. Below, bullet points state: ‘Its protected location, with strong tidal currents and low exposure to cyclone waves, may help explain how such a giant structure has survived. This discovery comes as over 80% of the world’s reefs are being hit by an ongoing global bleaching event driven by record ocean temperatures. This is a powerful reminder of what we stand to lose — and why discoveries like this matter so much.’ Below the text, an image shows the large Pavona clavus colony from a greater distance, with digitiform branches in light gray to whitish tones and several small, colorful fish swimming around it. Image credits: BioPixel and Citizens of the Reef.

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Mar 17

📢 ICRS 2026 update: the presenter registration deadline has been extended to April 15, 2026. See the post for details.

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Mar 6

Slide with a light blue background. At the top, a pink rectangle reads “Testing bleaching before freezing.” Below, a large blue title reads “Bleaching process.” Text states: “Bleaching was experimentally induced using menthol; Progressive larvae bleaching was observed over six days following menthol exposure.” Beneath, four photos of the same coral larva labeled “day 0,” “day 2,” “day 4,” and “day 6,” with 200 µm scale bars. Another large blue title reads “Chilling experiment.” Text lists: “3 temperature conditions: 5 °C, 15 °C and 25 °C (temperature-stable reference)” and “Exposure duration: 2–8 hours.” On the right, a blue title reads “Testing cryotolerance.” Text states: “Larvae preserved using vitrification – a rapid freezing method that prevents ice crystal formation” and “Laser warming enabled rapid thawing.” At the bottom, a blue rectangle with pink text reads “experimental overview.” Attached pink rectangle: “Bleached and non-bleached larvae were compared under cold exposure and after cryopreservation. Swimming activity and settlement success were used to evaluate performance.”

Slide with a light blue background. At the top, a pink rectangle reads “What Did They Find?”
Below, a blue rectangle with pink text reads “CHILLING TOLERANCE.” Next to it, a horizontal pink rectangle lists: “At 15 °C, both groups maintained swimming ability; At 5 °C, non-bleached larvae showed rapid decline and mortality, whereas bleached larvae maintained swimming activity for up to 8 h, despite a gradual decrease; Settlement occurred under all conditions, but bleached larvae maintained settlement capacity for longer at 5 °C.”
Below, a second blue rectangle with pink text reads “CRYO-TOLERANCE.” Next to it, another pink rectangle lists: “Bleached larvae displayed higher post-warming swimming activity than non-bleached larvae; However, both groups exhibited lower motility compared to baseline activity prior to cryopreservation; Settlement was observed in both groups after laser warming, with bleached larvae showing a slightly higher settlement rate.”
At the bottom, there are two photos of settled coral larvae: one non-bleached and one bleached. Next to the images, the text reads: “These images represent successful larval settlement 5 days after vitrification. Scale bar: 200 µm.”

Light blue background. In the center, an orange rectangle with a darker blue border and rounded corners reads “Summary.”
Below, the following bullet points appear:
“First successful post-cryopreservation settlement reported for P. acuta;
Bleached larvae showed enhanced tolerance to chilling and cryopreservation stress;
These findings suggest that bleaching preconditioning in the laboratory may help enhance larval performance during cryopreservation procedures;
Reduced lipid content in bleached larvae may contribute to the increased cryotolerance observed; however, this hypothesis requires direct physiological and molecular investigation;
Successful outcomes depended on carefully optimized cryopreservation conditions.”

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Mar 6

🧊🪸 Could bleaching before freezing improve coral larval cryopreservation success? Discover more in this recently published paper: link.springer.com/article/10.1... Have a recent coral reef study you’d like us to highlight? Contact us!

Slide explaining coral–microalgae symbiosis and bleaching. A diagram shows a coral with Symbiodiniaceae microalgae. Text reads: “MOST Reef-building corals live in symbiosis with photosynthetic microalgae.” Text explains: “In this partnership, microalgae photosynthesise and supply the coral with energy-rich compounds, while the coral provides protection and nutrients such as carbon dioxide and ammonium.” Below, a white coral with sun and thermometer icons illustrates bleaching. Text reads: “When corals experience stress – for example from temperature anomalies or intense light – this relationship becomes disrupted. Microalgae are lost, causing bleaching and, in severe cases, coral death.” A note states: “Rising ocean temperatures are the main cause of coral bleaching.” Images of Acropora, Pocillopora, and Porites accompany the text: “Bleaching events threaten fast-growing corals like Acropora and Pocillopora, potentially shifting reefs toward dominance by more thermally tolerant genera such as Porites.”

Slide with a light blue background. At the top, a light pink banner reads: “Cryopreservation is a promising strategy for coral conservation.”
The slide presents four sections with images. The first reads: “1 – What is cryopreservation? Cryopreservation works by freezing coral cells, gametes, or larvae at ultra-low temperatures, preserving them for long periods of time.” Next to it is a photo of a sample being removed from liquid nitrogen.
The second reads: “2 – Why cryopreservation? This approach can help preserve coral genetic diversity and contribute to the long-term resilience of coral populations.” Beside it is an image of a diverse, colorful coral reef.
The third reads: “3 – What is the challenge? Whole coral larvae are biologically complex. Their size and sensitivity to cold make successful freezing challenging, affecting post-thaw performance.” Next to the text is an image of a brownish coral larva with a 200 µm scale bar.
The fourth reads: “4 – What if bleaching helped? Coral thermal tolerance is dynamic and can be influenced by prior stress exposure. Could bleaching before freezing enhance larval cryotolerance and post-thaw performance?” Beside it is an image of a cryotube sample being removed from a frozen container.

Slide with a light blue background. At the top, a pink rectangle reads “selected study species.” Attached to it is a blue rectangle with the text “Meet Pocillopora acuta” written in pink.
Next to it, a vertical pink panel shows a photo of the coral Pocillopora acuta, a branching brown reef-building coral. Blue arrows from the photo point to the following text: “Branching reef-building coral (family Pocilloporidae),” “Still able to recruit under warming and acidification projected conditions,” “Can reproduce clonally (helps localized adaptation to changing environments),” “Sensitive to heat stress and bleaching,” “A strong candidate for larval cryopreservation research,” and “Larger larvae than those previously cryopreserved.”

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Feb 10

What happened during the third global bleaching event and what does it mean for coral reefs worldwide? 👉 Discover more in today’s featured article: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 📩 Do you have a paper you’d like us to highlight? Contact us.

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Feb 4

How exactly does climate change influence interactions between photosymbionts and their marine animal hosts? 🔥 🥵 Learn more in this recently published paper: link.springer.com/article/10.1... 🪸 Have a newly published coral reef paper? Share it with us so we can help communicate the science! 📢

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Feb 1

♻️ Time to renew your ICRS membership! Swipe through to explore the benefits of being part of the ICRS community. 💡 More information on membership categories and fees here: coralreefs.org/about-icrs/i...

Graphic with a semi-transparent background showing a brain coral. At the top, a dark blue rectangular banner displays the text “Membership benefits”. Below, a bulleted list: electronic access to the Society’s scientific journal Coral Reefs; receipt of and the right to publish in the online news journal Reef Encounter; reduced registration fees for the International Coral Reef Symposium and other Society-sponsored meetings; eligibility to be nominated for Society awards, including grants and fellowships; access to online resources, including the Membership Directory; eligibility to stand for election as an Officer or Councillor; the right to vote in Officer and Councillor elections and at General Meetings and Support coral reef science and young scientists. At the bottom, icons depict a scientific journal and a person speaking at a podium to an audience.

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Jan 28

✈️🌊 Travel to the 16th ICRS Symposium just got easier! Apply for Special Travel Awards, including Student Travel Grants, the John Ogden President’s Awards, and Dalio Travel Grants. 📅 Don’t miss out—apply now! tinyurl.com/ICRSAwards

ICRS International Coral Reef Society@icrs· Jan 26