Coral Gardening - Transplantation Phase — Culebra Island

OPP-MD1BQ7permanent identifier · cite as oceanportfolio.org/p/OPP-MD1BQ7

Published as: Demographics and dynamics of two restored populations of the threatened reef-building coral Acropora cervicornis. | Technique: Coral Gardening - Transplantation Phase | Disturbance addressed: General degradation | Genera: Acropora | Method: Nursery-reared fragments of A. cervicornis were transplanted to two reefs in Puerto Rico as part of a reef rehabilitation program, and their survival, growth, and branch production were measured for a year. The effect of the restoration on the dynamics and viability of the fragment populations was tested with a model. | Survival of transplants reported by the source: 63.525% | Post-restoration monitoring: 12 months | Authors' conclusion: Survival of outplanted fragments was > 60%, with no difference between fragment size. Large fragments (≥25 cm) grew faster and tended to produce more branches than smaller ones. Model simulations indicate that in the absence of recruitment and intervention, restored populations will decrease below a quasi-extinction level of 25% of the initial population size after 3 years. Transplanting at least 20 colony fragments per year (12%of initial population) is sufficient to keep the restored populations above the threshold. | Lessons reported: Minimum maintenance of restoration efforts to avoid extinction was simulated. | 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

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