Returnee to the list

Tom Williams ctwiliams at yahoo.com
Fri Aug 3 06:19:07 EDT 2001


I have been off the list for quite a while but Dubai
and the UAE are trying to do some good things for
coral.

We are trying to get background on restoration/
enhanced recruitment of died-off reef- a good reef
died off about 95% in 1996 but still has some good
heads and a few living patches (mostly massives with a
few porites/acropora).  

A thin - 3-10 cm of silt/fines has covered the reef
rock. Reef is in less than 10m of water and in the
summer it is VERY Hot - lately 46oC shade
temperatures.  Sand waves dominate along the shore
with a good seagrass meadow between the sand waves and
the main reef-rock area. On the sea side the reef at
3-6m depth drops off to 7-9m depth with lots of sand
to the seaward.

We are doing geo-referenced videos of current reef
rock - about 5 km x 1 km, and we have a video in 1995
before the die-back-tragic to see the differences. We
are doing detailed bathymetry and looking at doing a
sampling of micro/meso-biotic inventory to see if we
can identify conditions suitable for restoration of
recruitment. 

We are looking at doing some dredging to provide
deeper, cooler water in some areas...we are looking at
trying to locate remaining live reef with the
possibility of relocating some heads as spawning
sources.  We have support but we need examples and
some ideas on potential for success (>25%).

Has anyone tried "reef-rock" cleaning to provide
suitable substrate for recruitment, any one with ideas
on how to restore, replant, re-introduce. I have seen
several items on the net indicating others are
replanting and trying to regrow on damage good reef.

Any ideas on micro-biotic (formas, ostracodes,
diatoms) indicators for "good reef conditions" for
relocating or restoration??

We will be circulating more later..We would also be
interested in sponsoring/cooperating for reef meetings
on the Arabian Peninsula. We are just restarting some
earlier work but will be working for the next 2-5
years.


Dr. Tom Williams
 AFTER 15 AUGUST
Jebel Ali Properties
PO Box 17777 Dubai UAE
9714-3991400
97150-553-7217

AUGUST3-13 
001-650-558-9590, sAN mATEO cALIF.





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