NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE

This project will focus on active enhancement of Caribbean Acropora coral (staghorn and elkhorn coral) which has experienced widespread and catastrophic declines since the late 1970s. With growth rates faster than any other Caribbean coral species and asexual fragmentation as the dominate form of reproduction, Acropora corals can be efficiently propagated using low tech in-water nurseries. Strategically located where natural and human threats are low, in-water nurseries provide a stable setting for highly vulnerable tiny coral fragments to grow and thrive when properly maintained by local coral farmers. Many hundreds to thousands of 2nd and 3rd generation corals have already been propagated and grown to maturity using simple proven methods. When coupled with advanced genetics, nursery-reared corals with high survivorship potential (typically 1 year or more in age) can be out-planted to adjacent degraded reefs to enhance the genetic diversity and population size of remnant coral populations. These supplemented corals will improve local reef structure and function but more importantly they will directly contribute to the pool of coral larvae available to adjacent reefs during normal coral spawning periods. It is estimated that a coral reef that is seeded with just 35 nursery- raised Acropora colonies per year can recover to 1970s levels of coral cover within 10 years. Natural rates of recovery would require at least three decades and probably longer. By building on the success of the previous restoration work in South Florida, we will be able to restore corals to reefs that have been chronically degraded by bleaching, disease, hurricanes, and destructive fishing gear, as well as reefs acutely damaged by ship grounding and anchor damage. The project will increase production of propagated corals, help rebuild populations of this threatened species, restore coral reefs, improve ecosystem services, employ marine technicians, project coordinators and biologists, and invest in the infrastructure needed for future restoration activities. Deliverables include: (1) Increased number of colonies available for outplanting ten-fold across the project; (2) Facilities within the sea based nurseries established to house and care for displaced coral colonies; (3) A minimum of 10 new genotypes represented within each nursery; (4) a minimum of 5000 coral colonies outplanted across the project; (6) Genotyping completed to track outplanting of disease-free corals; (7) reproductively fit corals reintroduced to denuded reefs; (8) Corals at recently disturbed sites in the USVI are triaged and colonies stabilized for onsite recovery or collected for nursery stock; (9) 63 jobs across the project.

Clarification of Codes