[Coral-List] New Manuscript: Microfragmentation for the Successful Restoration of Slow Growing Massive Corals

Christopher Page cpage at mote.org
Tue Nov 6 22:04:57 UTC 2018


Dear coral-listers,

I would like to call your attention to a new paper in Ecological
Engineering that explores coral reef restoration using slow growing massive
corals in the Florida Keys

Page, C. A., Muller, E. M., & Vaughan, D. E. (2018). Microfragmenting for
the successful restoration of slow growing massive corals. *Ecological
Engineering*, *123*, 86-94.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925857418303094

We compared growth and survival in fragments of *Orbicella faveolata*
and *Montastrea
cavernosa* using 2 different outplant strategies.  Arrays of 8
"microfragments" initially cut to ~1cm and outplanted at ~2.5cm were
planted near 1 larger fragment of roughly equivalent cumulative size at 2
reef locations.  Fragments were followed for up to 2.5 years post planting,
spanning 2 consecutive bleaching events.  This study found 1) That initial
predation occurred on microfragments but was absent in larger fragments,
despite this survival and growth differed between sites but not between
larger fragments and microfragment arrays. 2) Excluding plots with >40%
predation nearshore, showed that *O. faveolata* microfragment arrays
produced 10 times more tissue than larger fragments, suggesting that if
predation events are reduced, massive corals can be successfully grown and
outplanted for restoration purposes.

 This study was funded by the Protect Our Reefs License Plate, Mote Marine
Laboratory and permitted by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Comission.

Best,

Christopher A. Page MSc
Mote Marine Laboratory
Senior Biologist-Coral Reef Restoration
cpage at mote.org


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