Damage caused by crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) outbreak to restored corals in the southern Gulf of California, Mexico
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Published source details
Martinez-Sarabia P. & Reyes-Bonilla H. (2021) Damage caused by crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) outbreak to restored corals in the southern Gulf of California, Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science, 692, 1257-1266.
Published source details Martinez-Sarabia P. & Reyes-Bonilla H. (2021) Damage caused by crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) outbreak to restored corals in the southern Gulf of California, Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science, 692, 1257-1266.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Transplant wild grown coral onto natural substrate Action Link |
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Transplant wild grown coral onto natural substrate
A replicated study in 2018–2019 at three reefs in the southwestern Gulf of California (Martínez-Sarabia & Reyes-Bonilla 2021) reported that when Pocillopora corals were transplanted in areas with high numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster cf. solaris, mortality varied from 39–88%. Fragment mortality was 39–88% (out of 192–200 fragments), and on average, fragments survived for 134–197 days. The site with highest mortality (88%) had a higher abundance of starfish (0.3 individuals/m2) than at the other two sites (0.08–0.09 individuals/m2). At each study site, 5 cm fragments were transplanted to plots (50 × 25 m) and fixed to the substrate using plastic straps and epoxy at depths of 2–9 m (192–200 fragments/site). Each site was visited five times over 12–15 months to assess survival of coral fragments. The number of starfish was also recorded during these visits.
(Summarised by: William Morgan)
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