Applying coral breeding to reef restoration: best practices, knowledge gaps, and priority actions in a rapidly evolving field

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 31(7)

Published: April 3, 2023

Reversing coral reef decline requires reducing environmental threats while actively restoring ecological structure and function. A promising restoration approach uses breeding to boost natural recruitment repopulate reefs with genetically diverse communities. Recent advances in predicting spawning, capturing spawn, culturing larvae, rearing settlers have enabled the successful propagation, settlement, outplanting of offspring all world's major regions. Nevertheless, efforts frequently yield low survival, reflecting type III survivorship curve corals poor condition most targeted for restoration. Furthermore, programs are still limited spatial scale species diversity. Here, we highlight four priority areas research cooperative innovation increase effectiveness restoration: (1) expanding number sites species, (2) improving broodstock selection maximize genetic diversity adaptive capacity restored populations, (3) enhancing culture conditions improve health before after outplanting, (4) scaling up infrastructure technologies large‐scale Prioritizing these will enable practitioners address at relevant scales, re‐establish self‐sustaining ensure long‐term success interventions. Overall, aim guide community toward actions opportunities that can rapid technical larval breeding, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, ultimately achieve reefs.

Language: Английский

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Coral restoration and adaptation in Australia: The first five years

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 17(11), P. e0273325 - e0273325

Published: Nov. 30, 2022

While coral reefs in Australia have historically been a showcase of conventional management informed by research, recent declines cover triggered efforts to innovate and integrate intervention restoration actions into frameworks. Here we outline the multi-faceted approaches that developed since 2017, from newly implemented in-water programs, research enhance resilience investigations socio-economic perspectives on goals. We describe projects using gardening, substrate stabilisation, repositioning, macro-algae removal, larval-based techniques. Three areas focus are also presented illustrate breadth Australian restoration, (1) transdisciplinary Reef Restoration Adaptation Program (RRAP), one world’s largest development programs focused reefs, (2) interventions performance under climate change, (3) socio-cultural perspectives. Together, these reflect an increasing urgency for action confront reef crisis, develop new additional tools manage consequent increase funding opportunities appetite implementation. The rapid progress trialling deploying builds decades overseas experience, advances showing positive signs can be valuable tool improve at local scales (i.e., high early survival rates across variety methods species, strong community engagement with stakeholders). RRAP is creating help multiple scales, micro targeting small within specific site) large core ecosystem function social-economic values select sites Great Barrier Reef) resist, adapt recover impacts change. None aim single-handedly restore entirety Reef, nor do they negate importance urgent change mitigation action.

Language: Английский

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Horizon scan of rapidly advancing coral restoration approaches for 21st century reef management

Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 6(1), P. 125 - 136

Published: Feb. 4, 2022

Coral reef restoration activity is accelerating worldwide in efforts to offset the rate of health declines. Many advances have already been made practices centred on coral biology (coral restoration), and particularly those that look employ high adaptive state capacity corals order ensure rebuilding biomass also equip reefs with enhanced resilience future stress. We horizon scan state-of-play for many innovations underway across complex life cycle spans both asexual sexual reproduction — assisted evolution (manipulations targeted host host-associated microbes), biobanking, as well scalable propagation planting how these are different stages maturity support new 21st century management frameworks. Realising potential tools aids undoubtedly rests validating approaches their application continues scale. Whilst ecosystem service responses increased scaling still largely remain be seen, has delivered immense understanding coral-associated microbial long lagged behind other sciences.

Language: Английский

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Hierarchical settlement behaviours of coral larvae to common coralline algae

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(1)

Published: April 9, 2023

Natural regeneration of degraded reefs relies on the recruitment larvae to restore populations. Intervention strategies are being developed enhance this process through aquaculture production coral and their deployment as spat. Larval settlement cues associated with crustose coralline algae (CCA) that known induce attachment metamorphosis. To understand processes underpinning recruitment, we tested larval responses 15 species, species CCA from Great Barrier Reef (GBR). in family Lithophyllaceae were overall best inducer across most Titanoderma cf. tessellatum effective induced at least 50% 14 (mean 81%). Taxonomic level associations found, Porolithon inducing high genus Acropora; while a previously understudied CCA, Sporolithon sp., was strong for Lobophyllidae. Habitat-specific detected, collected similar light environment higher levels settlement. This study revealed intimate relationships between provides optimal coral-algal pairings could be utilized increase success generate healthy spat reef restoration.

Language: Английский

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Coral restoration for coastal resilience: Integrating ecology, hydrodynamics, and engineering at multiple scales

Ecosphere, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 14(5)

Published: May 1, 2023

Abstract The loss of functional and accreting coral reefs reduces coastal protection resilience for tropical coastlines. Coral restoration has potential recovering healthy that can mitigate risks from hazards increase sustainability. However, scaling up to the large extent needed requires integrated application principles engineering, hydrodynamics, ecology across multiple spatial scales, as well filling missing knowledge gaps disciplines. This synthesis aims identify how scientific understanding multidisciplinary processes at interconnected scales advance reef restoration. work is placed within context a decision support framework evaluate design effectiveness resilience. Successfully linking science with practice will ensure future large‐scale restorations maximize at‐risk communities.

Language: Английский

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Larval precompetency and settlement behaviour in 25 Indo-Pacific coral species

Communications Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: Jan. 31, 2024

Knowledge of coral larval precompetency periods and maximum competency windows is fundamental to understanding population dynamics, informing biogeography connectivity patterns, predicting reef recovery following disturbances. Yet for many species, estimates these early-life history metrics are scarce vary widely. Furthermore, settlement cues taxa not known despite consequences habitat selection. Here we performed a comprehensive experimental time-series investigation behaviour, 25 Indo-Pacific broadcast-spawning species. To investigate the duration precompetency, improve predictions windows, compare responses within amongst completed replicated repeated 24-hour assays that exposed larvae five common cues. Our study revealed in some species begins as early two days post fertilization, but period varies between from about six days, with local retention connectivity. We also found competent settle beyond 70 old display complex temporal challenging assumption gradually wanes over time adding evidence longevity can support genetic long-distance dispersal. Using data, grouped by short, mid long periods, identified their preferred Taken together, results inform our dynamics across broad range be applied investigations connectivity, recovery.

Language: Английский

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Coral-seeding devices with fish-exclusion features reduce mortality on the Great Barrier Reef

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(1)

Published: June 10, 2024

Language: Английский

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Management approaches to conserve Australia’s marine ecosystem under climate change

Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 381(6658), P. 631 - 636

Published: Aug. 10, 2023

Australia's coastal marine ecosystems have a deep cultural significance to Indigenous Australians, include multiple World Heritage sites, and support the nation's rapidly growing blue economy. Yet, increasing local pressures global climate change are expected undermine biological, social, cultural, economic value of these within human generation. Mitigating causes is most urgent action secure their future; however, conventional new management actions will play roles in preserving ecosystem function until that achieved. This includes strategies codeveloped with Australians guided by traditional ecological knowledge modeling decision framework. We provide examples developments at one iconic ecosystems, Great Barrier Reef, where recent, large block funding supports research, governance, engagement accelerate development tools for under change.

Language: Английский

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Nanobiotech engineering for future coral reefs

One Earth, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 6(7), P. 778 - 789

Published: June 5, 2023

Advances in bioengineering and nanotechnology are revolutionizing how we approach problems deemed unsolvable only a decade ago. Nanotechnology has transformed biomedicine, agriculture, energy science, with broad translational capacity to natural systems. Coral reef ecosystems provide immense biodiversity economic value but being degraded at an unprecedented rate, triggering calls for human interventions such as those that have been applied biomedical Here, propose next-generation nanobiotechnology (nanocarriers, nanobiosensors, 3D bioprinting) can be leveraged solutions the persistence of future reefs. We advocate initiating critical dialogues developing tools apply coral ecosystems. challenge invite scientific community industry harness expand available toolkits monitoring, rehabilitation, restoration, conservation reefs worldwide.

Language: Английский

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Effects of material type and surface roughness of settlement tiles on macroalgal colonisation and early coral recruitment success

Coral Reefs, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 43(4), P. 1083 - 1096

Published: June 28, 2024

Abstract Sexual propagation of corals is a promising strategy for coral restoration, but one the main challenges high mortality spat due to competitive interactions with macroalgae during early life history stages. Optimising properties settlement substrates such as material types and surface roughness has potential improve survival by limiting recruitment growth macroalgae. In this study, we assessed effects modifying across three different tile materials (alumina-based ceramic, calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), concrete) on success post-settlement survivorship Acropora kenti larvae in six mesocosm tanks, each established macroalgal communities. The community compositions tiles were significantly among types, not roughness, although type abundance species heavily influenced tank Increasing did affect larval or survivorship. Substantially higher density was found concrete (1.92 ± 0.10 cm −2 highest CaCO (73.4 4.2% survived). Very strong observed between macroalgae, overgrowth crustose coralline alga Crustaphytum sp. brown Lobophora being primary cause mortality. Overall, when taking into account both rates, best performing tested here.

Language: Английский

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