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Description:
Project Manager:
Mark Ladd
Project Years:
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Project Summary:
The Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) coral population in the Florida Keys has suffered devastating losses in recent years. Previous CRCP funding has allowed our team to document losses not only in abundance and distribution but also in genotypic diversity. We estimate more than 2/3rds of the genotypic diversity has been lost in the past 15 years and based on the size distribution of the remaining population we estimate that only half of the remaining genotypes have ramets large enough to spawn. No recruitment of new genotypes (larval recruitment) has been observed in our monitoring plots in the 19 year duration of this study which underscores the need for intensive intervention to preserve A. palmata in the Florida Keys. This project aims to address the dwindling genotypic diversity in the Florida Keys A. palmata population by expanding our knowledge of the remaining wild population genotypes and by enhancing the abundance and genotypic diversity on the upper Florida Keys reefs using novel genets.The main activities proposed for FY24-26 as part of this ongoing Acropora palmata (APAL) project build on the demographic monitoring program that began in 2004. These activities address jurisdictional priorities identified under the Restoration Pillar, specifically to support the research and implementation of restoration techniques, innovative restoration interventions, and propagation techniques. This includes research into environmental drivers to restoration success, scaling up, and monitoring at scale and support CRCP Strategic Plan Target R3.2 and R3.3. These activities also address Florida-specific activities under the Climate Pillar to conduct vulnerability assessments to identify resilient reefs sites likely to survive and be protected from climate impacts, as well as conduct vulnerability assessments, which support CRCP Strategic Plan Target C 1.2.Continue annual monitoring of APAL including several new sites established in FY20. Photomosaics, initiated in FY23, will be used as a monitoring tool at all sites. APAL outplanted as a part of previous and ongoing field experiments have been incorporated into the larger monitoring effort. At each monitoring survey we conduct a thorough removal of corallivorous snails. These activities directly support two of NOAA's ESA Recovery Plan actions for elkhorn coral. Specifically: "Improve understanding of population abundance, trends, and structure through monitoring and experimental research" and “Reduce locally-manageable stress and mortality threats”.Continue to record benthic water temperature data at 30-minute intervals at each reef site. This data helps document thermal stress events or even cold water events as occurred in 2010. Water temperature data is uploaded annually to NCEI where the existing dataset dating back to 2005 is available to the public and other researchers. Currently loggers are deployed in Acropora spp. habitat at more than 20 sites in the upper Florida Keys.Monitor and collect spawn from known APAL genotypes: Since 2007, our team has made observations on the timing of coral spawning of multiple stands of APAL with known genotypic identities Considering that stands of these corals in the Florida Keys frequently have low tissue cover and also have low genotypic diversity, potential for fertilization in a natural setting is very low to non-existent. We will collect gametes from multiple genotypes and fertilize the gametes at our land-based seawater system where larvae can be raised and settled for use in research and restoration. Additionally, our collection of gametes and production of larvae has supplied larvae and settlers for numerous research and restoration efforts for over 10 years and will continue in future years. This is particularly important given that we are the only group that consistently collects gametes from Florida Keys APAL each year and thus are often the only source of larvae on a given year for this species of coral.With Reef Renewal, we will conduct an outplant experiment with genotypes of nursery-raised APAL fragments assessed for thermal tolerance in FY22 and FY23. Outplanting will occur across a subset of our monitoring plots to leverage our long term data on site-specific trends in APAL. This component will evaluate ‘assisted fragmentation’ as a strategy of expanding the footprint of a stand of outplanted and wild APAL, which we intend to pilot in FY23 at 1-2 sites. Use of nursery-raised fragments minimizes impacts on the wild population and provides an opportunity to enhance the genotypic diversity of the study plots used for the experiment.In FY22 and FY23, in collaboration with Reef Renewal, we conducted preliminary heat stress experiments by establishing an in-water nursery at a site with typically elevated temperatures. During FY24-26, we propose to repeat this experiment with a larger array of genotypes, expanded data collection, and/or different species to identify resilient genotypes for reef restoration.
Expected Outcome:
Expected outcomes of this project include: Expanded and continued status and trends of APAL populations in the upper Florida KeysProduction of photomosaics as a tool for monitoringAdditional temperature data from reefs in the Upper Florida KeysObservations of APAL spawning, collection of gametes, and the production of larvae for settlement and rearingRelative thermal stress tolerance of nursery propagated genotypes of APALEvaluation of a population enhancement strategy along with direct enhancement of existing stands of APAL
Project Locations:
Project Category:
Restoration
Project Status:
Ongoing
Associated Products:
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