Greetings:

I am new to the List, and I am wondering if
anyone could provide information regarding
the estimated cost of transplanting coral.

My government agency is currently
conducting the environmental review for a
proposed port relocation project in the U.S.
Virgin Islands.  The proposed entrance
channel to the new port would unavoidably
cut through a rock/rubble shoreline fringe that
has numerous live corals and sponges. 
Specifically, if you were to sum up the bottom
coverage of each live coral or sponge, it
comes to a half acre.  The plan is for divers to
chisel off each coral head or sponge,
transport it about a few hundred meters to a
site with similar depth, water clarity, energy,
etc., and then glue it down.  Where corals are
attached to small boulders, the whole rock will
be transported with the coral intact.  Also, all
motile epifauna (sea urchins, etc.) will be
collected from the entrance channel area, and
also moved to the new location.

We imagine this will require extensive labor,
but little equipment.  Could anyone give a
rough estimate of the U.S. dollar cost of this
project?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dave Pohle
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico
& U.S. Virgin Islands)
Wetlands Protection Section
New York, NY

