Abstract Summary
Reef restoration programs require a supply of coral colonies for their implementation. Most of these efforts obtain colonies from the natural environment, limiting production goals. Recently, marine nurseries being established to propagate corals and to keep a stock available for out-planting them in damaged areas. However, facilities on land to produce corals in a more controlled manner is an ideal complement for marine nurseries, because it is possible to take care of the fragments and sexual recruits. The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute of Mexico (INAPESCA) have been developing biotechnology for culturing corals over the last 13 years. Controlled and semi-controlled system tanks have been installed at the facilities, as complement of the marine nursery. The total coral production has reached 8,000 fragments and 35,000 microfragments of 10 species of caribbean corals (Acropora palmata, A. cervicornis, Dendrogyra cilyndricus, Dicochoenia stockesii, Orbicella annularis, O. faveolata, Montastraea cavernosa, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Porites porites and Siderastrea spp.). Out-planting action has been carried out on 2,159m2 of reefs damaged by ship grounding and hurricanes. The experiences and lessons learned in the art of culture and coral propagation are presented. Optimal size of fragmentation, cutting zones and healing time per species. Good practices such as the opportune treatment of ciliate infection and the sanitation of tanks, as well as the use of gastropods as an herbivorous group for the control of algae. These aspects enable to increase coral survival and to maintain production lots on schedule. Finally, the experiences of scaling-up production through microfragments in seven species are presented. Units of coral tissue (2.1 cm2) are handled; these are produced from microfragments of < 1cm2 in a period of 5 to 7 months. Fractions of these units are cut successively to maintain the scaling-up of coral production, avoiding the collection of fragments from the natural environment. At the facilities, genotypes will be artificially selected taking into account specific traits (i.e. higher thermal tolerance) to enhance the success of the restoration program and the preservation of the coral reef environment.
