Abstract Summary
Coral reef ecosystems have been in decline in recent decades due to several stressors, both natural and anthropogenic. Due to these significant declines, there has been a need for restoration of many coral species, particularly within the Caribbean genus Acropora. As part of restoration efforts for acroporid species present in the Caribbean, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in conjunction with Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL), is establishing a coral nursery at Great Stirrup Cay, an island owned by NCL in the Bahamas. The goal of this project is to determine which acroporid species performs best in a nursery setting, and whether species, genotype and/or fragment type affects the growth and survival of acroporid corals. To test these variables, two acroporid species, Acropora cervicornis, Acropora palmata, and their hybrid, Acropora prolifera, will be used in the study. A pilot study will be conducted to test the efficiency of the new nursery. Experimental fragments of corals will be placed in the nursery after the pilot study, and will be differentiated by species, genotype (six genotypes per species), and fragment type (apical, middle, or basal). Linear growth and percent mortality data for each fragment will be collected on monthly maintenance trips. Overall, this data will allow us to examine what species, genotype, and fragment type performs best in a nursery setting, which will have implications for future nurseries. For this poster, preliminary data from the pilot study and the experimental corals will be presented.
