Substrate Addition - Artificial reef — Florida Keys

OPP-FSV5KMpermanent identifier · cite as oceanportfolio.org/p/OPP-FSV5KM

Published as: Modeling and monitoring tools to assess recovery status and convergence rates between restored and undisturbed coral reef habitats | Technique: Substrate Addition - Artificial reef | Disturbance addressed: Ship grounding | Genera: Porites | Method: Use field monitoring and modelling or resulting data to evaluate the status of two restoration projects established in 1995, 6 years after two freighters ran aground on reefs Marine Sanctuary. A population model was developed for the coral Porites astreoides to project the convergence rates of coral abundance and population size structure between the restored and surrounding reference habitats. | Post-restoration monitoring: 72 months | Authors' conclusion: Species richness in general, and abundance of P. astreoides were nearly indistinguishable between the restoration structures and reference habitats after only 6 years. However, according to the model, maximum coral size will take twice as long to converge for this species. The model has high sensitivity to maximum recruitment rates. | Lessons reported: The level of success of a restoration effort (rates of convergence) were also influenced by the characteristics of the reference population - reference populations ought to be considered a “moving target” against which restoration success has to be measured dynamically. | This record was compiled from a published source and has not been confirmed by the organisation that carried out the work. No contribution to the condition index is recorded: the source reports survival of transplanted material, which is not a measure of ecosystem condition.

Recorded result

No result recorded yet. A result is recorded when the project moves to Paused, Completed or Discontinued.

A variable shows "pending" instead of a contribution when no domain area has been set for it yet — the share of the world a project touched cannot be computed without one. The health percentages are accurate regardless.