[Coral-List] Coral Transplant

[Esther Peters]

Rodney,

You did not mention what the "anthropological threats" are.  If water 
quality has been changed (from chemical contaminants, sediment, 
turbidity, salinity or oxygen changes, nutrient discharges), then merely 
transplanting corals to the site is not going to restore the reef.  So, 
as Don writes, you need to know not only what was surviving there before 
the damage, but also to know whether the colonies you transplant might 
have a chance at survival, growth, and reproduction.  For example, 
species more resistant to turbidity might have to replace 
sediment-susceptible species that were originally present.  These 
studies must be done before anything else or your time is being wasted.  
Good luck!

Esther Peters, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Science & Policy
George Mason University

Don Baker wrote:
> Hi Rodney:
>
> Though there are a few good publications out there on this issue, one of the first efforts that I personally undertook when starting this type of work was to fully investigate the damaged reef itself for evidence / indication of the corals that used to thrive there in the first place. Oftentimes, corals are transplanted to reefs in which they never grew there successfully. 
>
> Another point is to try to help along a reef with what I call the "First Blood" types (Acropora, Pocillopora,Montipora...) [if you in the Pacific that is] These coral types seem to be the first ones to successfully settle on disturbed reef areas, bridge works over newly dredged out reef platforms, etc.
>
> R/Don
>
> Alternate Email: donbjr95 at hotmail.com
>
>
>
> "Dedication and motivated direction in achieving specific goals related to the care and protection of living things is not necessarily a guaranteed formula for success.  Success is, more often than not, a direct result of a person’s passion in addition to the above formula." [Don Baker, Marine Conservationist/Activist, 1998]
>
> --- On Thu, 6/18/09, rodney <r.bonne at scmrt-mpa.sc> wrote:
>
> From: rodney <r.bonne at scmrt-mpa.sc>
> Subject: [Coral-List] Coral Transplant
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009, 5:56 AM
>
> Dear Listers: 
>
> Recently my team and I have been assigned on a project to try and restored a
> big part of a reef which has been under anthropological threats. We were
> advised to undergo such project by the means of (Transporting Corals) Coral
> transplant.
> Can any of you provide me with a few recommendation about what to use and
> how to glue corals to the substrates?
>
> Any info will be very much appreciated,Joseph
>
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