Abstract Summary
As coral reef communities throughout the Caribbean continue to degrade, in situ coral nurseries have become a common means to support their restoration. Such efforts have predominately focused on the propagation and restoration of the once-prolific elkhorn and staghorn corals (Acropora spp.) and techniques for growing and outplanting these corals have been thoroughly investigated. Here, we evaluated the suitability of incorporating boulder coral species into in situ nursery propagation efforts to support coral reef restoration activities. We compared the effects of different coral mounting and maintenance techniques on the growth and survival of fragments of three boulder coral species, Montastraea cavernosa, Orbicella faveolata, and Pseudodiploria clivosa. Survival at one-year post-fragmentation was >90% and did not differ significantly across treatment combinations. Growth rates of P. clivosa were significantly higher than M. cavernosa and O. faveolata. Coral colonies mounted on concrete modules located on the seafloor grew faster than those mounted on PVC/fiberglass trees suspended in the water column. Removal of the fouling community surrounding each coral did not significantly affect coral growth or survival. Our results show that the three boulder corals tested can be propagated in offshore nurseries and require little maintenance. The continued refinement of boulder coral propagation can provide the information needed to incorporate boulder corals into coral reef restoration programs.
