Abstract Summary
Coral reefs are dynamic ecosystems that currently face endangerment and extinction from the effects of climate change. Restoration projects aim to assist in the recovery of these fragile ecosystems and enhance their resiliency. Because no formal statistical review of the effects of coral reef restoration on coral reefs exists, and assuming coral restoration has a quantifiable effect on coral reefs, I determined meta-analyses would summarize the overall effects of coral restoration. To test the hypothesis that coral restoration efforts have a significant effect on coral abundance and ecological functionality, I conducted meta-analyses to assess the effects of restoration on specific measures that influence abundance and ecological functionality. The initial literature review produced 603 papers, and after applying exclusion criteria, there were 28 studies applicable for use in the meta-analyses. The effects of coral restoration on these anticipated outcomes were not significant: Coral Growth overall effect size (ES) = 0.14, p = 0.96, n = 17; Coral Recruitment ES = -0.03, p = 0.97, n = 7; Fish Abundance ES = -0.41, p = 0.73, n = 5; Fish Richness ES = -0.14, p = 0.47, n = 5; Benthic Cover ES = 1.44, p = 0.37, n = 3. These overall effect sizes show that coral restoration does not significantly alter the state of coral reefs when compared to their natural counter-parts. Despite these findings, certain trends in restoration location, species used, and methodology employed may advise future restoration projects to improve the outcomes of coral reef restoration efforts.
