Coral Conservation Abstracts
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Public Aquariums Take Major Steps for the Restoration of Coral Reefs Bart Shepherd, Steinhart Aquarium Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
In 2010, SECORE initiated a collaborative coral restoration research project on Curacao for the endangered Caribbean elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and other coral species. This project grew from four prior years of SECORE work, combining the skills and technology of public aquarium professionals, scientists studying coral reproduction and reef restoration, and local conservation partners. Our goal is to develop new techniques utilizing corals’ sexual reproduction events to dramatically increase the scale of rehabilitation efforts. Current reef restoration efforts that involve coral transplantation are labor and cost intensive, as each individual coral must be reared to a suitable size and manually attached to degraded reefs. Hence, the scale of most restoration efforts is less than a hectare, while reef degradation occurs on a global scale. Here we introduce a new concept to seed larger areas of reefs with sexually reared coral juveniles, bypassing the need for individual transplantation. Following the concept of a farmer scattering seeds on a field, sexual coral propagules settled on engineered substrates and reared in a nursery for a short time period are introduced to the reef en masse, and without the use of any adhesives. Our approach has greatly benefited from the input of public aquarium professionals during annual spawning workshops, leading to repeated advances in the techniques used to culture coral larvae in land-based nurseries, including specialized “kreisel” tanks. Endangered elkhorn corals cultured in Curacao reached sexual maturity at four years old, and spawned concurrently with wild corals. The results of our studies indicate that seeding coral juveniles in this manner offers great potential to increase the scale of reef restoration efforts. Case studies carried out in Mexico, Guam, and Singapore further highlight possibilities and limitations of this new concept. These initiatives have been designated as official WAZA conservation projects. |
Sexual Reproduction of Broadcast Spawners Corals Orbicella Faveolata and Orbicella Annularis
Dominique Barthelemy, Mathieu Coutant, Oceanopolis, Aquarium La Rochelle Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
In 2009, a conservation program called Planugwa was set up by a group of French public aquaria, with the aim to study the sexual reproduction of several Caribbean broadcast spawning corals. Within this period, workshops were organized every year in the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe in order to collect coral gametes during annual mass spawning events. Larvae were reared in laboratory conditions in Guadeloupe, and transported to the facilities of the participants involved in the program for settlement and culture in aquarium conditions. Three species were studied and successfully bred during this program: Acropora palmata, Orbicella annularis (syn. Montastrea annularis) and Orbicella faveolata (syn. Montastrea faveolata). This is the first documented breeding success for the two last species. A dedicated protocol was set up for these species for each culture stage, starting from the collection of gametes to colony husbandry in aquariums. |
Project Coral - Developing Protocols for Predictable Broadcast Coral Spawning in Captivity
Jamie Craggs, Horniman Museum & Gardens Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Project Coral is an innovative captive coral sexual reproductive research project, run by the Horniman Museum and Gardens, London, in collaboration with S.E.A. Aquarium, Singapore and SECORE International. Broadcast spawning correlates strongly with a number of environmental signals, (seasonal temperature, lunar and diel cycles); however, few robust experimental studies have examined the role of these putative cues in triggering spawning. In purpose built aquarium laboratories, microprocessor technologies are used to investigate the influences of the lunar cycle, diurnal changes, seasonal temperature changes, solar irradiation patterns and nutritional input on broadcast coral gamete (egg and sperm) production and release. Since 2012, five Acropora species have been purposefully induced to spawn within closed systems in London and in-vitro fertilization capacity has been developed to produce genetically diverse coral offspring in captivity. Through developing a deeper understanding of broadcast spawning events in captivity Project Coral aims to support climate change research focusing on reproduction, reef restoration efforts and develop new sustainable coral aquaculture techniques. www.horniman.ac.uk/projectcoral |
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Call for Help from the Maldives:
Transfer of Knowledge as a Helping Hand in Local Coral Reef Conservation Efforts Nicole Kube, German Oceanographic Museum Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Coral reefs provide food and livelihoods for the people in the Maldives: fishing, building material and most of all a wide range of employment and commercial opportunities associated with tourism are relying on healthy corals reefs. However the coral reefs of the Maldives have suffered in the last decades due to a mass coral bleaching event in 1998, but also from human disturbances such as increased sedimentation resulting from construction works, sewage discharges and overfishing. Some projects have been undertaken for coral propagation, but only a few have been really successful. The main reason is the lack of knowledge by the locals in biology and ecology of coral reefs, handling and reproduction techniques of living corals. This European Union of Aquarium Curators (EUAC) funded project has provided three 4-days workshops on three different Maldivian hotel islands, totally coaching 75 local staff from the diving bases and hotels. The participants were taught by aquarists of the German Oceanographic Museum in evening lessons about ecology of corals and coral reefs, physical and biological restoration methods and reproduction methods. During daytime the participants went diving together with the museum staff to build up nursery tables and stone piles and learned how to attach corals with different methods. All coral nurseries are now monitored by the dive centre staff. Each island has its challenges, but the coral growth is very good and measurable. After the project duration of one year growth results and survival rates can be compared to find the best solution for each island. The dive centre staff send monthly reports and growth data to the German aquarists, who are assisting and supervising continuously. A second trip of the museum staff to the project islands is planned in autumn 2016 to continue the work. |
Aussie Masters:
Sustainable Coral Collections from Pristine Reefs Lyle V. Squire, Jnr., Cairns Marine Watch Video (Login required) Full Abstract
Some corals are so extraordinary in their color, quality and uniqueness they have earned a special name; they’re known as “master corals”. Where they originate in Australia is special too; the pristine waters of the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef and adjoining Coral Sea have long been known as the source of some of the most interesting marine fishes and invertebrates in the world, and with the growing popularity of living coral reef aquaria, the reputation has grown. Knowledge of and insight into how and why the specimens coming from this region are so unique has revealed many key factors. Some of the most desired Australian corals live in unique distinctive areas of the reef. Whether in the ripping currents, clear water and intense light of the outer barrier reef where the most interesting delicate small polyp stony corals live, or the turbid waters and silty bottom of the near-shore reefs where fleshy large polyp corals thrive, every area has its iconic species. Distributional differences between species can result from a minor change in factors like depth or water quality. ICP analysis of the water where a coral thrives indicates that even the slightest variation in a trace element can produce a unique variant. Having this information from the animals’ habitat on the reef, their ocean environment provides aquarists with exciting and logical steps in the advancement of coral husbandry into the future. Coral enthusiasts and aquarists around have access to Australian corals due to the success of its coral fishery. The shortest of live coral supply chains originate in Australia and are only possible because of extensive and comprehensive management of the reef. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park’s coral fishery is quota managed and through years of operation has been proven to be sustainable fishery in a resilient ecosystem. It is through this supply chain that the most unusual and sensitive of corals originate and can be successfully collected, housed, treated and transported safely. Reef management arrangements and supply chains in combination with knowledge of the habitat preferences and water quality requirements are but a few components that must be considered in order to have “master corals” in aquaria where they may be displayed, researched, propagated and most importantly, appreciated. |