Study

Getting bigger faster: Mediation of size-specific mortality via fusion in juvenile coral transplants

  • Published source details Raymundo L.J. & Maypa A.P. (2004) Getting bigger faster: Mediation of size-specific mortality via fusion in juvenile coral transplants. Ecological Applications, 14, 281-295.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Transplant nursery-grown coral fragments onto artificial substrate

Action Link
Coral Conservation

Cultivate corals in an ex-situ nursery

Action Link
Coral Conservation

Cultivate corals in an ex-situ nursery

Action Link
Coral Conservation
  1. Transplant nursery-grown coral fragments onto artificial substrate

    A randomized, replicated study in 1997–1998 at a laboratory and natural coral reef in central Philippines (Raymundo & Maypa 2004), found that transplanting larger nursery-grown juvenile stony coral Pocillorpora damicornis onto limestone settlement tiles led to higher survival and growth rate than smaller juveniles. One year after transplanting, juvenile survival rate was highest (40/80) for the largest size class, compared to the next largest (16/80), the third largest (2/80), and smallest (0/80). Average size after one year also varied depending on the size at transplant (largest: 51 mm; next largest: 26 mm; third largest 8 mm; smallest: 0 mm). Each four months between February and July 1997, five Pocillorpora damicornis colonies were collected from the wild and kept in laboratory aquarium tanks to spawn. Larvae were collected and placed into tanks to settle onto limestone settlement tiles (48 cm2). Eighty settled larvae/month were placed into cultivation tanks with flowing unfiltered seawater. In August 1997, three hundred and twenty juvenile corals attached to individual tiles were measured and sorted into one of four size classes (≤3 mm; 3.1–6.0 mm; 6.1–10 mm; >10 mm). Tiles were taken to the reef and attached to the substrate 4 m deep using marine epoxy. Survival and growth of juveniles were monitored for one year after transplanting. 

    (Summarised by: Ann Thornton)

  2. Cultivate corals in an ex-situ nursery

    A replicated, randomized study in 1997–1998 at a laboratory and natural coral reef in central Philippines (Raymundo & Maypa 2004), found that cultivating Pocillopora damicornis larvae in an ex-situ nursery led to a higher settlement rate and survival compared to larvae cultivated in-situ on a natural reef. Average settlement success was higher for ex-situ cultivated larvae (59%) compared to in-situ cultivated (12%). One week after settlement, average survival was higher for ex-situ cultivated larvae (76%) than for in-situ (42%). Ex-situ cultivated juveniles grew an average of 2.3 mm/week over six months (data not reported for in-situ cultivated). On each of nine sampling months from February 1997–August 1998, five wild-growing P. damicornis colonies were collected from a reef and kept in ex-situ aquarium tanks to spawn. Larvae were collected and either placed into tanks with limestone settlement tiles (48 cm2) or taken to the reef and injected into settlement traps (6–12 traps with 40­50 larvae/trap) attached to the reef substrate. Tiles with settled larvae (360–1500 larvae) were transferred to cultivation tanks with flowing unfiltered seawater. Settlement traps on the reef were removed after 24 h and settlement success was measured. Survival was measured each day for a week and then weekly for one month. Growth was measured weekly for six months on a randomly selected group of 20 ex-situ cultivated juveniles settled in February 1997.

    (Summarised by: Ann Thornton)

  3. Cultivate corals in an ex-situ nursery

    A replicated, randomized study in 1998–1999 at a laboratory in central Philippines (Raymundo & Maypa 2004), found that cultivated stony coral Pocillopora damicornis larvae survived and developed polyps. Coral spat (settled larvae) that naturally joined in pairs or groups had higher survival and developed more polyps than single spat. Average weekly survival over six months was higher for groups (99.9%) and pairs (99.8%) compared to single juveniles (98.2%) and there was no significant? difference in survival rate between groups and pairs. After six months, the average number of polyps was higher in groups (48 polyps/colony) than in pairs (30 polyps/colony) and single (15 polyps/colony), there was no difference between pairs and single colonies. In July 1998, three wild-growing P. damicornis colonies were collected from the reef and kept in ex-situ aquarium tanks to spawn. Larvae were collected and placed into one of three settlement tanks (60 larvae/500 ml water) to settle onto limestone settlement tiles (48 cm2). Settlement and joining were measured after 24 h. Tiles containing settled juveniles were transferred to cultivation tanks with flowing unfiltered seawater. Survival was recorded weekly or every two weeks for six months , and the number of polyps/colony was recorded weekly for six months for all joined colonies and 40 randomly selected single colonies.

    (Summarised by: Ann Thornton)

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