Edit WCNA 2024 Session Submission: Submissions:2024/Coral Reef Digital Twins and a Distributed Genetic Ark for Coral Conservation

Type of session
Learn about session types here.
Lightning talkLecture (15-30 min)Indepth Session (30-60 min)PanelRound TableWorkshopEdit-a-thonPlenaryLunch MeetupAfter-Hours Meetup

Session theme(s)
 Community Engagement  Community Health  Diversity & Inclusion  Education  GLAM (Galleries/Libraries/Archives/Museums)  Governance & Strategy  Legal & Advocacy  Open Data  Partnerships  Reliable Sources  Research  Technology  Wild Ideas

Abstract
Please describe your proposal. Aim for 100 to 300 words.
If you have any relevant webpages, slidedecks, etc., you may link them here.
The oceans are no longer a safe place for corals: we need a 100-year plan to keep them alive so that future generations also have a chance. Embracing Wikimedia’s core principles of openness, free access, and community contribution, I propose a strategy to create digital and genetic twins of the world's coral reefs. This involves capturing the topology, species diversity, abundance, and biogeochemistry of the reefs using existing technologies, alongside establishing a living, distributed genet ark of coral diversity. Corals are remarkable ecosystem engineers, capable of clonal reproduction, which will be crucial for this initiative. As a living complement to digital twins of reefs, I propose using a distributed network of university, public, and home aquaria to keep corals alive indefinitely. This will be tracked in an open ledger system based on proof-of-life, with all coral genets monitored and balanced through the network, using a leveling system to incentivize the preservation of diversity. We must explore the scope of our symbiotic nature with corals: for all of human time, we have relied on them. Now they rely on us.

Author name(s)

Wikimedia username(s) (optional)

E-mail address
To avoid spambots, use {{@}} in place of @

Affiliated organization(s) (optional)
Your associated Wikimedia affiliate, organization, company, etc.

Would you be able to attend the conference if you do not receive a scholarship?
 Yes  No

Estimated length of session
Can be a specific number of minutes or a range, to help us slot sessions in the schedule.

Will you be presenting in-person or remotely?
 None  I will present in-person  I will present remotely

If available, would you be okay with your session being livestreamed?
 Yes, you may livestream my session  No, do not livestream my session

Have you presented on this topic previously? (optional)
If yes, where/when?

Any additional requirements or details you'd like the programming committee to know? (optional)
Let us know if you can only present on certain days, need certain equipment, accessibility needs, etc.