Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders
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Published source details
Nava H. & Figueroa-Camacho A.G. (2017) Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders. Marine Ecology, 38, e12456.
Published source details Nava H. & Figueroa-Camacho A.G. (2017) Rehabilitation of damaged reefs: Outcome of the use of recently broken coral fragments and healed coral fragments of pocilloporid corals on rocky boulders. Marine Ecology, 38, e12456.
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 2013–2015 at a coral reef in Playa Las Gatas, Mexico (Nava & Figueroa-Camacho 2017) found recently broken fragments of stony coral transplanted onto natural substrate had greater survival, growth, and attachment compared to healed fragments. Twelve or 13 months after transplanting, survival rate was higher in both rainy and dry seasons for recently broken (dry: 91%, rainy: 63%) compared to healed fragments (dry: 63%, rainy: 46%). Vertical growth was higher for recently broken (dry: 161%, rainy: 210%) compared to healed fragments (dry: 88%, rainy: 124%). Horizontal growth was greater for recently broken (dry and rainy: 107%) compared to healed fragments (dry: 73%, rainy: 100%). Substrate attachment in the dry season was higher and happened faster for recently broken fragments (98% in nine months) compared to healed (86% in 12 months). There was no difference in attachment rate after 12 months for fragments transplanted in the rainy season (broken: 89%, healed: 84%). In November 2013 (dry) and August 2014 (rainy), 250 randomly selected naturally broken fragments of Pocillopora verrucosa, Pocillopora capitata and Pocillopora damicornis were collected from around Playa Las Gatas. Fragments were assessed as ‘recently broken’ (no signs of healing) or ‘completely healed’ (healed at their breaking point). Twenty-five fragments were attached one of ten 15 × 15 cm steel grids (one fragment type/grid) using plastic strips. Grids were fixed to one of ten 1 m3 boulders ensuring fragments touched the boulder. Survival, vertical and horizontal growth (% increase) and attachment (% fused to the substrate), were monitored every 2–3 months for 12 or 13 months.
(Summarised by: Ann Thornton)
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