[Coral-List] Is coral reef restoration like heart disease treatment?

[Steve Mussman]

Dear Sarah,

“Rather than a heart disease treatment, I use the analogy of a patient in cardiac arrest. Restoration ecology, if done correctly,  is the defibrillator that jump starts the system”.

In reference to this statement, I’m wondering if there is in fact any agent or device that can serve as a “defibrillator” for degraded coral reefs. 

Can restoration ecology in and of itself actually get the ecosystem back into the proper rhythm or is restoration more analogous to organ transplantation?   

If that’s the case, in order for a recipient to be considered a good candidate for an organ transplant, it must first be determined that they are otherwise in overall good health. 

Regards,
Steve






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