Abstract Summary
Currently the Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Mexico develops the program of reef restoration in Quintana Roo. With 10 years of work in the development of biotechnology, it has been possible to consolidate a multifunctional system for coral cultivation that includes hatcheries and nurseries for coral colonies production to out-planting in damage areas. Multifunctional cropping systems have been designed to specifically address different aspects of the crop. In this way there are systems for the management of sexual recruits that include larval development, the process of settlement of larvae, and their maintenance in the different stages of development during their growth. There are also systems for the production of fragments by clonal propagation, as well as for micro-fragments and the maintenance of donor colonies. Controlled culture systems (SCC) are generally used for the breeding and settlement of Acropora palmata larvae, have temperature control, artificial light of 400 and 1000 wtts and automated 20000 ◦K for photoperiod simulation, a volume of 1100 l (4x1x.35m) and nutrient control with skimmer with capacity to hold up to (40,000) larvae or (20,000) recruits. The external culture systems (SCE) are used to maintain fragments, micro-fragments and donor colonies of different species with 2 different capacities.These systems receive natural light filtered through polycarbonate sheets of glass and smoke colour with UV filter, interleaved for a diffuse reception on the tanks. This culture system has cooling through a chiller , a Skimer and filtration system of 1μm for the main flow. On the other hand, for the marine culture systems, concrete plates were initially installed of .5x.5m and 10 cm. of thickness present in a tube of 35 cm. of height on which a 1"male adapter is assembled, containing 1 coral, and currently they are being replaced by modular PVC structures with union screws to facilitate their removal from the water and cleaning on land. Having this variety of cultivation systems allows an efficient management of production, achieving the protection of successful genotypes, the controlled management of breeding species (seedbed), as well as a control of the origin and destination of each production.
