Caribbean Acropora Restoration Guide - The Florida Reef ...

Chapter 3 | Coral Gardening Methodology
Coral Collections
Goal: Minimize impact to donor colonies and maximize survivorship of fragments and nursery corals.
Site Selection
Once a suitable site for the coral nursery has been selected and materials have been deployed, corals will need to
be collected to serve as nursery stock. The first step in coral collections is to choose collection sites. There are
several factors to consider when choosing these sites.
• Existing Wild Populations: As in nursery selection, knowledge of natural healthy populations of
Acropora coral within a reasonable proximity to the selected nursery site will be critical in guiding
collection efforts. The overall size and health of potential donor colonies are important and affect
both the health of subsequent fragments collected from the donor and the potential impacts to the
donor. Minimizing impacts and pressure on colonies present at any particular site is an important part
of the goal stated at the beginning of this section.
• Size of the Area: The geographic area from which wild donor colonies are harvested should be large
enough to ensure genetic diversity between collected corals while minimizing transport time between
the collection site and the nursery.
• Proximity to Nursery Site: If monitoring of wild donor colonies is required, close proximity to the
nursery site may be an important logistical and financial consideration. Also, minimizing transport
times helps to reduce stress and likelihood of damage to newly collected fragments.
• Number of Sites: Collecting from a variety of areas or habitats may further increase the likelihood of
genetic variation within the nursery as well as the ability of nursery-reared corals to adapt to different
habitats and environmental conditions.
• Permitting: Local permitting and marine zoning in certain areas may also guide the selection of
collection sites.
Methodology
• Tools: Small branch clippings from wild donor colonies can be collected using a variety of cutting
tools, including stainless steel surgical bonecutters,
diagonal electrical wire cutters, needlenose pliers,
etc. For colonies with thicker branches, PVC
cutters have also proven effective. Taking care to
cut the branch cleanly and evenly ensures optimal
survival of the fragment as well as rapid healing and
recovery of the donor colony. See Figure 3.
Photo: Ken Nedimyer
• Transport: Widely varied methods have been tested
and used for transporting coral fragments, and the
selection of one particular method should depend on
the conditions at each nursery site. Fragments taken
from donor colonies should be transported to the
nursery site as quickly as possible to minimize stress
and placed in the shade to maintain temperature and
Figure 3: Collecting fragments of A. cervicornis
17