Influence of fragment size on post transplantation growth and survival of domed scleractinian corals

ABSTRACT

Coral transplantation helps to reinstate coral cover in degraded reefs, but the general success of this approach is hampered by limited understanding of how coral-fragment size affects growth and survival of transplants of non-branching species. In this study, we compared the effects of three size classes of coral fragments (small: 2–4 cm, medium: 5–7 cm and large: 9–11 cm) on the post-transplantation survivorship and growth of Favites complanata (n = 51), Favites pentagona (n = 54) and Platygyra sinensis (n = 60) attached to granite rocks on a subtidal seawall in Singapore. After 18 months, transplants of all species showed high survivorship (all >64%) and up to 6.3-fold increase in live tissue area. Survivorship was not significantly different among the size classes of each species. Mean linear extension rates were fastest only for small F. complanata transplants compared to medium-sized ones. Our findings also suggested that the transplantation of only small fragments could generate better yield in live coral cover and present the most optimal use of the original amount of coral source material. Such information is critical for formulating management and conservation strategies in urbanized reef systems typically dominated by non-branching corals.

KEYWORDS:

• Coral restoration
• urban reefs
• asexual propagation
• hermatypic corals
• seawalls

Acknowledgements

This study is part of the project ‘Enhancing Singapore’s coral reef ecosystem in a green port’ supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, under the project grant R-347-002-215-490. We thank Ahmad Rafiuddin Rashid, Lutfi Afiq-Rosli and Wee Teck Wei Delon for their assistance with the study. We thank the reviewers for their valuable inputs which improved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore [grant number R-347-002-215-490].