Recovery from finfish predation on newly outplanted boulder coral colonies on three reefs in the Florida Keys

Published source details Smith K.M., Pharo D.M., Shea C.P., Reckenbeil B.A., Maxwell K.E. & Sharp W.C. (2021) Recovery from finfish predation on newly outplanted boulder coral colonies on three reefs in the Florida Keys. Bulletin of Marine Science, 97, 337-350.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

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	Transplant nursery-grown coral fragments onto artificial substrate Action Link

Transplant nursery-grown coral fragments onto artificial substrate

A replicated study in 2019–2020 at six sites in the Florida Keys Reef Tract, USA (Smith et al. 2021) found that three species of nursery-grown corals Montastraea cavernosa, Orbicella faveolata, and Psuedodiploria clivosa transplanted on cement or ceramic discs had high survival after 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, 347 of 360 (96%) transplanted colonies still had live tissue, nine completely died (3%) and four were missing (1%). A lower percentage of fragments from in-situ nurseries on cement discs were predated (6–80%) than those from ex-situ nurseries on ceramic discs (23–99%). The percentage of live tissue/colony initially decreased after transplanting for in-situ corals (99% on transplant day and 95% after 1 week) and ex-situ corals (100% on transplant day and 88% after 1 week), but began to increase from six weeks after transplanting for in-situ nursery corals (reaching 96% after 12 weeks) and one week after transplanting for ex-situ nursery corals (reaching 92% after 12 weeks). At each of three locations, one offshore continuous reef site (5–6 m depth, 6–9 km from shore) and one inshore patch reef site (3–5 m depth, 3–5 km from shore) were selected. At each of the six sites, 60 coral colonies (20 colonies/species) were transplanted, half sourced from an in-situ nursery and half from an ex-situ nursery. Colonies had all been fragmented at their nurseries. Colonies were attached using epoxy to a cement disc (in-situ colonies) or ceramic disc (ex-situ colonies) and attached to the natural substrate via a drilled hole and epoxy. Sites were monitored one, two, six, and 12 weeks after transplanting.

(Summarised by: William Morgan)