Corals mass-cultured from eggs and transplanted as juveniles to their native, remote coral reef
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Published source details
Nakamura R., Ando W., Yamamoto H., Kitano M., Sato A., Nakamura M., Kayanne H. & Omori M. (2011) Corals mass-cultured from eggs and transplanted as juveniles to their native, remote coral reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 436, 161-168.
Published source details Nakamura R., Ando W., Yamamoto H., Kitano M., Sato A., Nakamura M., Kayanne H. & Omori M. (2011) Corals mass-cultured from eggs and transplanted as juveniles to their native, remote coral reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 436, 161-168.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Transplant nursery-grown coral fragments onto artificial substrate Action Link |
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Cultivate corals in an ex-situ nursery Action Link |
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Transplant nursery-grown coral fragments onto artificial substrate
A replicated study in 2008–2010 at a coral reef in Okinotorishima, Japan (Nakamura et al. 2011) found that transplanting nursery-grown stony coral Acropora tenuis on unshaded, upward-facing ceramic tiles covered in cages led to greater coral coverage compared to shaded, downward-facing or uncaged tiles. After 22 months, average coral cover was greater on unshaded, upward-facing tiles with cages (26%) than on shaded upward-facing tiles with cages (8%) or on unshaded, shaded, upward or downward-facing tiles without cages (3–6%). In June 2007, eggs and sperm were cross-fertilised from eight wild Acropora tenuis colonies taken from the transplantation site to a land-based nursery. Larvae were settled on ceramic tiles (each 12 x 12 x 2.5 cm with five rows of 1.5-cm2 holes). In April 2008, pairs of tiles with 10-month-old corals were attached to steel rods and secured to reef knolls using epoxy cement. In each pair, tiles were placed one above the other with the upper tile shading the lower tile. Tile pairs were arranged in three configurations: tiles fixed 1-cm apart with corals facing upwards and covered with a vinyl-coated wire cage (5 cm mesh; 43 pairs) or not covered with a cage (33 pairs), or tiles fixed 3-cm apart with corals facing each other (one upward, one downward) without a cage (32 pairs). Live coral coverage on each tile was measured using a 10 cm2 quadrat at eight, 10 and 22 months after transplantation. Cultivation and transplantation cost ¥50,563,000 (2011 value), including materials, equipment, personnel, electricity, water, fuel and transport (see paper for detailed breakdown).
(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)
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Cultivate corals in an ex-situ nursery
A study in 2007–2008 at an ex-situ nursery in Okinawa, Japan (Nakamura et al. 2011) reported that more than half of stony coral Acropora tenuis larvae cultivated in tanks settled on ceramic tiles, and more than half the spat (settled larvae) survived and grew. In total, 111,000 of 205,000 larvae (54%) settled on ceramic tiles within tanks (average 173 larvae/tile). After 10 months, 66,000 of 111,000 spat (59%) survived and grew into juvenile corals. In June 2007, eggs and sperm were collected from eight wild-grown captive Acropora tenuis colonies and cross-fertilized. Five-day-old larvae were placed in four rectangular tanks (1.7 × 0.8 × 0.4 m), each containing seawater and 160 ceramic tiles (each 12 × 12 × 2.5 cm with five rows of 1.5-cm2 holes) arranged in two layers. After 4–5 days, numbers of settled larvae were estimated and tiles transferred to aerated outdoor tanks (5.2 × 0.8 × 0.4 m) with flow-through seawater, snails, and young fish, and covered with shade nets or transparent vinyl tents. Numbers of surviving juvenile corals were estimated in April 2008. Total cultivation cost ¥7,963,000 (2011 value), plus ¥12,600,000 for collection and transport of coral colonies.
(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)
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