Spawning coral release quintillions of eggs each year: new research

Key points

• Corals across the Indo-Pacific region release around 3.5 quintillion eggs in a single spawning event, according to new research published in Ecology and Evolution. The estimate is the first of its kind for the region, which is a hotspot for marine biodiversity.
• Branching Acropora, Porites and Montipora corals account for about half of the total egg supply. The researchers say the figure sets a baseline for reef reproductive capacity, which matters because roughly half of global coral reef cover has disappeared since 1950.
• Reproduction is key to reef recovery after severe marine heatwaves.