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Description:
Project Manager:
Michelle Loewe
Project Years:
2021
2022
2023
Project Summary:
This project will also provide funding for a component of Phase 1B which will include capacity building for herbivore reintroduction that includes continued research and development of best practices for King crab and diadema rearing and outplanting. In addition to the restoration of stony coral to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the reintroduction of algae grazers such as Caribbean king crab and sea urchin are important to maintaining the health of the restored sites. Over the last several years, research progress has been made in propagating and rearing king crab and the next steps are to continue field-research to understand density requirements for different habitat zones and to develop capacity to scale-up production of grazers to support the restored sites. As transportation costs to the outplant site, including mortality, can be significant, building capacity in the Florida Keys to produce herbivores at scale is preferred and also has the potential to support a local mariculture Blue Economy.
Expected Outcome:
This project will also result in the support of research to support diadema (long-spined sea urchin) restoration by determining best practices for rearing diadema through experimentation with raising sexual-recruits produced in an ex-situ facility and raising of wild juvenile diadema in an ex-situ facility. This project will also result in continued development of best practices for scaling-up production of King crab and best practices for outplanting of King crab including research into current densities of King crab at Iconic Reef sites and research into densities needed for restoration. The project will also investigate opportunities for an herbivore mariculture business model such as a mixed-used approach to build economic capacity for scaled-up production of herbivores in the Florida Keys.
Project Locations:
Project Category:
Restoration
Project Status:
Funding Ended
Associated Products:
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