Abstract Summary
Corals are dying at an unprecedented rate and concurrently natural ecosystem processes on reefs are being degraded. Many restoration efforts focus on increasing the abundance of corals and fish, but fail to restore some of the processes necessary for the persistence of reefs. Coral recruitment is a key process that can promote the recovery of coral abundance and diversity after a disturbance event. While there is ample evidence that crustose coralline algae (CCA) are key facilitators for coral recruitment, very little is known about these algae on reefs. Understanding the diversity of CCA has been limited by a taxonomy that relies on an understanding of specialized morphological features that are difficult to see in live plants. We have developed a multi-faceted research program to better understand the diversity of CCA living on Caribbean reefs, how these CCA facilitate or inhibit coral recruitment, and what conditions are necessary to enable the growth and proliferation of CCA. To advance research and restoration of CCA we have built a database of genetic barcodes to identify Caribbean species of CCA. We have also designed a guide book that is available to help researchers identify CCA using the morphology of live plants in situ. These resources should facilitate the study of CCA in an effort to restore the processes that are critical for coral reef persistence.
