Near-term impacts of coral restoration on target species, coral reef community structure, and ecological processes
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Published source details
Ladd M.C., Burkepile D.E. & Shantz A.A. (2019) Near-term impacts of coral restoration on target species, coral reef community structure, and ecological processes. Restoration Ecology, 27, 1166-1176.
Published source details Ladd M.C., Burkepile D.E. & Shantz A.A. (2019) Near-term impacts of coral restoration on target species, coral reef community structure, and ecological processes. Restoration Ecology, 27, 1166-1176.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Transplant nursery-grown coral onto natural substrate Action Link |
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Transplant nursery-grown coral onto natural substrate
A replicated, paired site, site comparison in 2014 in four coral reefs in Florida, USA (Ladd et al. 2019) found that transplanting nursery-grown colonies of staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis onto natural substrate led to a higher abundance of Acropora coral species juveniles and, at one of four reefs, a higher abundance of non-Acropora coral juveniles than plots without transplants but did not increase overall coral diversity. There was higher coral cover on plots with transplants (5–15%) than plots without (1–3%), but this was mostly due to increases in Acropora species, which made up 78–89% of corals in plots with transplants and 0–7% in plots without. At one of four reefs there was a higher abundance of non-Acropora juvenile corals on sites with transplants than those without (Pickles Reef: with transplants: 4 corals/50 m2, without: 1 coral/50 m2) but at the other three there was no difference (with transplants: 2–18 corals/50 m2, without: 2–15 corals/50 m2). There was no difference in coral diversity between plots with transplanted Acropora cervicornis and those without (presented as Shannon-Weiner index). The four reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary had undergone limited Acropora cervicornis transplanting from 2–11 years prior (<100 corals transplanted), but more extensive transplanting since 2011 (Molasses Reef: 2,300 corals), 2012 (Pickles Reef: 1,150 corals, Snapper Reef: 500 corals) or 2013 (Conch Reef: 500 corals). Nursery-grown coral colonies were transplanted onto reefs using epoxy putty. In July–August 2014, at each reef five 25 m transects were swum in an area with transplants and five in an area without (≥5 m away) to record coral abundance and species.
(Summarised by: Eleanor Bladon)
