Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes
Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations provide important ecological functions on shallow Caribbean reefs, many of which were lost when a disease reduced their abundance by more than 95% beginning in the mid-1970s. Since then, a lack of significant recovery has prompted rehabilitation initiativ...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Elsevier
2015-07-01
|
Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415001018 |
id |
doaj-ce74da500edd42ed94f5d421256849ae |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-ce74da500edd42ed94f5d421256849ae2020-11-25T01:02:34ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942015-07-014C52653710.1016/j.gecco.2015.10.005Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametesValérie F. Chamberland0Mark J.A. Vermeij1Mike Brittsan2Mitch Carl3Mark Schick4Skylar Snowden5Adriaan Schrier6Dirk Petersen7SECORE Foundation, Arensburgstrasse 40, 28211 Bremen, GermanyCARMABI Foundation, P.O. Box 2090, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, CuraçaoSECORE Foundation, Arensburgstrasse 40, 28211 Bremen, GermanySECORE Foundation, Arensburgstrasse 40, 28211 Bremen, GermanySECORE Foundation, Arensburgstrasse 40, 28211 Bremen, GermanySECORE Foundation, Arensburgstrasse 40, 28211 Bremen, GermanyCuraçao Sea Aquarium, Bapor Kibra z/n, Willemstad, CuraçaoSECORE Foundation, Arensburgstrasse 40, 28211 Bremen, GermanyElkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations provide important ecological functions on shallow Caribbean reefs, many of which were lost when a disease reduced their abundance by more than 95% beginning in the mid-1970s. Since then, a lack of significant recovery has prompted rehabilitation initiatives throughout the Caribbean. Here, we report the first successful outplanting and long-term survival of A. palmata settlers reared from gametes collected in the field. A. palmata larvae were settled on clay substrates (substrate units) and either outplanted on the reef two weeks after settlement or kept in a land-based nursery. After 2.5 years, the survival rate of A. palmata settlers outplanted two weeks after settlement was 6.8 times higher (3.4%) than that of settlers kept in a land-based nursery (0.5%). Furthermore, 32% of the substrate units on the reef still harbored one or more well-developed recruit compared to 3% for substrate units kept in the nursery. In addition to increasing survival, outplanting A. palmata settlers shortly after settlement reduced the costs to produce at least one 2.5-year-old A. palmata individual from $325 to $13 USD. Thus, this study not only highlights the first successful long-term rearing of this critically endangered coral species, but also shows that early outplanting of sexually reared coral settlers can be more cost-effective than the traditional approach of nursery rearing for restoration efforts aimed at rehabilitating coral populations.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415001018Coral reef restorationSexual coral reproductionCritically endangered speciesCoral propagationCost-effectiveness analysisCoral nursery |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Valérie F. Chamberland Mark J.A. Vermeij Mike Brittsan Mitch Carl Mark Schick Skylar Snowden Adriaan Schrier Dirk Petersen |
spellingShingle |
Valérie F. Chamberland Mark J.A. Vermeij Mike Brittsan Mitch Carl Mark Schick Skylar Snowden Adriaan Schrier Dirk Petersen Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes Global Ecology and Conservation Coral reef restoration Sexual coral reproduction Critically endangered species Coral propagation Cost-effectiveness analysis Coral nursery |
author_facet |
Valérie F. Chamberland Mark J.A. Vermeij Mike Brittsan Mitch Carl Mark Schick Skylar Snowden Adriaan Schrier Dirk Petersen |
author_sort |
Valérie F. Chamberland |
title |
Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes |
title_short |
Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes |
title_full |
Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes |
title_fullStr |
Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes |
title_full_unstemmed |
Restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes |
title_sort |
restoration of critically endangered elkhorn coral (acropora palmata) populations using larvae reared from wild-caught gametes |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Global Ecology and Conservation |
issn |
2351-9894 |
publishDate |
2015-07-01 |
description |
Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) populations provide important ecological functions on shallow Caribbean reefs, many of which were lost when a disease reduced their abundance by more than 95% beginning in the mid-1970s. Since then, a lack of significant recovery has prompted rehabilitation initiatives throughout the Caribbean. Here, we report the first successful outplanting and long-term survival of A. palmata settlers reared from gametes collected in the field. A. palmata larvae were settled on clay substrates (substrate units) and either outplanted on the reef two weeks after settlement or kept in a land-based nursery. After 2.5 years, the survival rate of A. palmata settlers outplanted two weeks after settlement was 6.8 times higher (3.4%) than that of settlers kept in a land-based nursery (0.5%). Furthermore, 32% of the substrate units on the reef still harbored one or more well-developed recruit compared to 3% for substrate units kept in the nursery. In addition to increasing survival, outplanting A. palmata settlers shortly after settlement reduced the costs to produce at least one 2.5-year-old A. palmata individual from $325 to $13 USD. Thus, this study not only highlights the first successful long-term rearing of this critically endangered coral species, but also shows that early outplanting of sexually reared coral settlers can be more cost-effective than the traditional approach of nursery rearing for restoration efforts aimed at rehabilitating coral populations. |
topic |
Coral reef restoration Sexual coral reproduction Critically endangered species Coral propagation Cost-effectiveness analysis Coral nursery |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415001018 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT valeriefchamberland restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT markjavermeij restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT mikebrittsan restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT mitchcarl restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT markschick restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT skylarsnowden restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT adriaanschrier restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes AT dirkpetersen restorationofcriticallyendangeredelkhorncoralacroporapalmatapopulationsusinglarvaerearedfromwildcaughtgametes |
_version_ |
1725204173715144704 |