The mother of Colombian corals - NPR

NPR's John Otis profiles Elvira Alvarado, Colombia's pioneering 70-year-old marine biologist known as "the mother of coral," who dedicates her life to saving endangered coral reefs through innovative restoration techniques.

Facing the devastating reality that over half of Caribbean coral has died since the 1970s due to climate change, disease, and pollution, Alvarado leads groundbreaking coral conservation efforts on Colombia's San Andrés Island. Her team uses coral IVF techniques, collecting eggs and sperm during the brief annual spawning season to fertilize coral in laboratories and transplant them back to damaged reefs.

• Alvarado pioneered coral in-vitro fertilization in Colombia, focusing on breeding heat-resistant varieties to survive warming ocean temperatures
• Her work addresses critical coral bleaching and starvation caused by rising sea temperatures and deadly diseases like Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
• She has mentored numerous young marine biologists, predominantly women, ensuring her conservation legacy continues beyond her career
• The technique involves precise timing during coral's once-yearly spawning cycle, requiring underwater collection missions and laboratory fertilization processes