Abstract Summary
The health and resilience of coral reefs are dwindling as reefs are confronted by a suite of stressors: elevated seawater temperatures, eutrophication, overfishing, pollution, and disease. In 2014, a new coral disease was first reported off South Florida (USA) and has since spread across the Florida Reef Tract. This disease, known as Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), is characterized by significant and rapid tissue loss and can infect more than 20 species of coral. Among the most susceptible corals are slow-growing massive corals, though levels of susceptibility are species-specific and vary. Given the susceptibility of massive corals to SCTLD infection, a major concern among management agencies is the effect of SCTLD on massive corals outplanted along the leading edge of the disease front (i.e., invasion zone). The goals of this proposed study are to determine the vulnerability of land-grown massive corals to SCTLD within the invasion zone and to measure the utility of time-lapse remote underwater video (TRUV) systems in monitoring the corals post-outplant. The experimental design will be implemented in two regions of the Lower Florida Keys, one area within the disease front (invasion zone) and one area not yet affected (vulnerable zone). Leveraging existing coral restoration efforts will allow for the outplanting of corals through time, while monitoring of the outplanted corals will be accomplished by activities proposed in the study. Study results will directly inform coral reef restoration by clarifying the role and potential risks of outplanting massive corals in the face of the disease outbreak.
