Abstract Summary
The Reef Restoration Program initiated by Oceanus, A.C supported by MARFund, SUMMIT Foundation and other partners is focused on strengthening resilience and adaptation potential of coral reefs to promote recovery of associated species of fish and invertebrates. The Program involves the transplant of 10,000 colonies every year and identification of genetic material from healthy donor populations to increase diversity in restoration sites, thereby promoting natural resilience and resistance to climate change and local stressors. Oceanus has initiated and maintained reef restoration actions in no take areas of the Mexican Portion of the Mesoamerican Reef for four years now. To date, the Restoration Program activities are developed in at least 20 sites of 6 different locations in Mexico (Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Mayakobá at Playa del Carmen, Sian Ka’an, Xcalak and Mahahual) and it has initiated work in Roatán Island in Honduras. After 5 years sites are starting to show visible changes of recovery. Results from monitoring have shown that on average >80% of the transplanted colonies from previous years have survived in the restoration sites. Due to the continuous input of new colonies (small sizes), average of maximum diameter in sites with multiple generations was 30.2 cm(+- 14.5 D.E.), and more than 30% of the trasplants, averaging all sites, are larger than 20cm. Cover of living tissue in each colony ranged from 12.2 cm2 to 3964.8 cm2 with an average of 363.9 cm2. Oldest transplants in Puerto Morelos, Xcalak and Mayakobá are now growing exponentially. In Puerto Morelos, old transplanted colonies are now being part of the landscape in one of the first restoration sites with more than 90% of the colonies being larger than >160cm2. After achieving that size, every additional year of growth, the proportion of the colony that spawns will increase according to maturity. Sexual reproduction of transplanted colonies is the ultimate goal, as it will start the multiplier effect of restoration, sending hundreds or thousands of genetically diverse larvae and recruits to new sites on the reef.
