Efficiency of self-recovery in coral living tissue of donor colonies of Orbicella faveolata used for coral intervention in the Mexican Caribbean
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The effects of climate change and local impacts, such as disease, hurricanes, and nutrient input, have led to the rapid degradation of reef ecosystems. The implementation of active restoration methods has expanded globally to mitigate the loss of these important habitats. However, many intervention strategies are still under development, and their impact is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of self-recovery of live Orbicella faveolata tissue used as donor microfragments from May 2021 to May 2023 in the Puerto Morelos Reef National Park. Digital images were analyzed to measure the recovery of bare area (~1,250 mm2), transverse diameter (mm), longitudinal diameter (mm), and number of new polyps in donor colonies. After 2 years the results showed that the area of bare tissue had an average recovery of 1,065 ± 237 mm2 of living tissue with 97% of tissue recovered. The transverse and longitudinal diameters showed average monthly growth of 0.88 mm and 0.98 mm, respectively, with a recovery of 93–96% and an increase of approximately 18 new polyps by the end of the study period. The removal of live tissue microfragments does not negatively affect healthy donor colonies, which are capable of recovery within a relatively short time frame (24 months). This information reveals the potential of using microtransplants to accelerate live tissue recovery in colonies affected by various stressors. Despite their feasibility in coral species rehabilitation projects, it is necessary to continue investigating the long-term effects related to susceptibility to erosion and disease to establish more appropriate strategies that support the conservation of coral colonies and reef habitats, as well as the provision of ecosystem services.
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