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Description:
Project Manager:
Cheryl Woodley
Project Years:
2015
2016
2017
2018
Project Summary:
The goals of this project are to provide information as to whether 1) the depth of nursery stock genotypes and their subsequent outplanting location affects their performance (growth, survivorship, photophysiology); 2) compare survivorship pre-and post-hurricane of genotypes using our initial reciprocal transplant experiments to determine if there was differential survival at shallow and deep sites. This project is a continuation of CRCP #30022, "Use of Restoration Genomics in Recovering ESA Species: Orbicella faveolata" that re-establishes a reciprocal transplant and adds an evaluation of the potential effect of hurricane disturbance on genotype survival if pre-hurricane specimens can be relocated. The initial Restoration Genomics project was nearing completion with final data on the reciprocal transplant to be taken in January 2018. Hurricane events destroyed the experiment based on snorkeling surveys of shallow sites. Diving to deep sites to determine their condition is not yet possible. However, we are in a unique position of having genetic samples from multiple genotypes used in the pre-hurricane experiment as a comparison with those surviving a hurricane disturbance. In addition, we propose to re-establish a second reciprocal transplant, which is covered by a new permit. Project Objectives: 1) By scoring the performance of the deep vs shallow reciprocal transplants, determine if colonies survive better in native habitats or if the original depth of the source stock (deep or shallow) does not matter. 2) Conduct genetic analysis of the samples to determine whether natural selection is acting on deep and shallow sites. If there is no selection, abundant connectivity across depths would be seen, at least in the USVI. If genetic structure is found between the shallow and deep sites, then it is likely that natural selection is removing 'mal-adapted' individuals from the 'wrong' habitats. From a restoration/conservation perspective that means the number of outplanted colonies during restoration needs to be increased by taking into account the habitat where the colonies originate and where they are outplanted and/or the siting of nurseries and outplanted sites need to be critical considerations. This also means that deep-adapted corals (Orbicella in this case) are not reservoirs of new recruits for shallow adapted corals and vice versa. 3) Compare shifts in coral microbiomes from surface mucus samples to assess condition of corals. This is a collaborative project with Penn State Univ., Univ. of Rhode Island, Univ. of the Virgin Islands and TNC. This project addresses ESA coral recovery as well as the new Restore Coral pillar in CRCP. This project is expected to assist NOAA's coral restoration/recovery efforts by helping managers match habitat source colonies with destinations of outplantings. Partners include Penn State University, USGS, FL FWC, NOAA's Restoration Center.A major contribution (leveraging) to this project is from Penn State collaborators. They have recently completed 5 genomes (~3500 megabases of DNA sequence), representing three O. faveolata genomes, 1-O. annularis, 1-O.franksi and identification of over 1million genetic markers (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, SNPs). This contribution represents approximately $200K in salaries (postdoc, co-PI, grad student),high-throughput DNA sequencing, bioinformatics support, supplies, travel and computing services.
Expected Outcome:
Successful restoration occurs if the genotypes in the source population perform adequately in the transplanted one. We anticipate that this project will identify genetic markers for local adaptation to a depth, and determine if the genetic architecture underlying adaptation to depth varies with geographic location (e.g., between Panama and USVI). Understanding the genomics of local adaptation will provide information of pre-adapted colonies that can be used to repopulate other locations, and the extent to which populations can be used interchangeably across habitats for restoration. In addition, this work will provide data to demonstrate the utility of genomic markers in characterizing local adaptations and then test the validity of the genetic markers in predicting the fate of outplanted Orbicella faveolata from transplant experiments to similar and distinct habitats. This project will provide a proof of principle on how coral restoration can benefit from genomic data, in particular how adaptive genetic variation can guide coral conservation. This is a major contribution to coral restoration, as for the first time the concept of natural selection will be directly applied to marine conservation. We will provide information on how matching the adaptation profile of parental colonies with outplanting habitats will enhance restoration and coral nursery activities.To provide an environmental context for transplant results, we also propose to characterize the local water quality at nursery and transplantation sites for anthropogenic nutrients (N, P, ammonium, ChlA), toxicity using a sea urchin embryo development toxicity assay, and for endocrine disrupting chemicals that can affect not only coral health and reproduction but that of other marine resources including fish and shellfish.
Project Locations:
Jursdiction Priority Sites:
- St. Thomas East End Reserve
Project Category:
Other Domestic or Global Project
Project Status:
Funding Ended
Associated Products:
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