Project 2000 Report

TRANSPLANTING CORAL FRAGMENTS TO DAMAGED

CORAL REEFS IN A NATIONAL PARK -

PLANTING THE SEEDS TO RECOVERY?


Elkhorn coral		Reef damaged by vessel grounding

Coral reefs are the most complex marine ecosystem on earth, essential to literally millions of plant and animal species. Reefs:

	protect coastlines from erosion; provide shelter and food for economically valuable fisheries species;
	are sources of bio-active compounds with pharmaceutical potential;
	provide food for local communities;
	attract snorkelers, divers, and recreational fishers who contribute billions of dollars to local economies;
	are important in the world carbon budget .

Over the past two decades, coral reefs in the western North Atlantic, including Virgin Islands National Park, have been damaged by diseases, a series of hurricanes, coral predators, and human activities; there has been little to no recovery. Diseases and hurricanes have played a major role. Degradation from human impacts has escalated simply because there are more and more people living near or depending on the sea. Although damaged coral reefs can not be restored to their original condition, with the increased incidence of damage and the continuing lack of recovery on Caribbean reefs, interest in restoration has heightened, specifically in reintroduction of coral colonies to initiate and speed up recovery.

Two questions loom:

What is the best source for reintroduced colonies (do you degrade one reef to restore another)?
Do the survival and growth rates warrant the cost and time required to transplant coral colonies (will it work)?

We have proposed a solution to the first question and are in the process of answering the second. We collected storm-produced fragments of three species of Caribbean coral (elkhorn, staghorn and finger corals) and transplanted them to other reefs. These species were selected because they: grow rapidly (for coral); occur at the same depths as areas most vulnerable to damage; colonize by fragmentation; and provide an ample supply of naturally produced fragments.


USGS scientist measuring growth of transplanted coral		Transplanted elkhorn coral fragment cementing to the substrate and growing over cable ties securing it; white tips indicate new growth.

Presently, little is known about the survival or growth rates of small coral colonies in the Caribbean. The project objectives are to:

	quantify the survival and growth rates of both transplanted fragments and naturally occurring fragments/colonies over a two year period.
	elucidate and quantify the natural processes determining survival of young coral colonies and fragments.
	ascertain whether the survival and growth rates of transplanted colonies warrant the cost and time required to transplant fragments to damaged reefs.

Preliminary data depict a highly dynamic shallow reef system, with similar survival rates for transplanted and "control" colonies.


Bristle worms feeding on coral.		Transplanted elkorn coral fragment and tag

Funded by Canon USA, Inc. and the National Park Foundation, in partnership with Virgin Islands National Park, Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, and community volunteers.

For more information on the coral transplant project contact: Ginger Garrison, USGS, PO Box 710, St. John, US Virgin Islands 00831; tel: 340 693-8950 ext. 236; ginger_garrison@usgs.gov

July 2000