Study

Benthic micro- and macro-community succession and coral recruitment under overfishing and nutrient enrichment

  • Published source details Evensen N.R., Vanwonterghem I., Doropoulos C., Gouezo M., Botté E.S., Webster N.S. & Mumby P.J. (2021) Benthic micro- and macro-community succession and coral recruitment under overfishing and nutrient enrichment. Ecology, 102, e03536.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Cultivate coral larvae in an artificial nursery located in a natural habitat

Action Link
Coral Conservation
  1. Cultivate coral larvae in an artificial nursery located in a natural habitat

    A replicated, controlled study in 2017–2018 at an artificial nursery in a natural coral reef off Palau (Evensen et al. 2021) found that cultivating coral Acropora digitifera larvae in a natural habitat with a protective cage resulted in higher survival than when a partial cage or no cage was used in one of two experiments. One experiment using ‘clean’ settlement tiles found higher survival for corals on caged tiles (24–34%) than for corals on partially caged or open tiles (1–12%). The other experiment using settlement tiles ’conditioned’ on the reef found similar low survival for corals on caged (1 of 121 larvae) and uncaged tiles (3 of 215 larvae). In 2018, settlement tiles (10 × 10 cm) comprising a checkerboard arrangement of 1 cm × 1 cm raised squares were placed on the reef in 12 plots of three tiles each (one caged tile, one partially caged and one open). After four weeks, the tiles were retrieved and any algae removed. A second set of tiles of the same design was left (caged or uncaged) to ‘condition’ on the reef for six months before being returned to the aquarium. In April 2018, coral larvae were collected from eight adult colonies, transferred to ex-situ aquaria and settled on to the ‘clean’ or ‘conditioned’ tiles (10 × 10 cm) In the first experiment, clean tiles with coral spat (settled larvae) were returned to the reef. Tiles were arranged in 12 plots with one each of caged, partially caged and open tile. Survival was assessed after 28 days, then every 14 days until 70 days had passed. In the second experiment, the tiles with coral spat were returned to the reef and placed, caged or uncaged, in 12 plots on the reef. Survival for corals in the second experiment was assessed after 70 days.

    (Summarised by: William Morgan)

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