Preliminary results of coral gardening with fragments of the genus Pocillopora as a restoration tool in the Bay of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
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| Autores: | , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | artículo original |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Data de Publicação: | 2026 |
| Descrição: | Introduction: Coral reefs in the Mexican Pacific and the Gulf of California have undergone a marked decline in live coral cover as a result of the synergistic effects of anthropogenic stressors and climate change. In response, a range of restoration strategies has been developed, among which active restoration using coral fragments of opportunity has gained increasing relevance. Objective: To evaluate a coral restoration approach that involves the in situ cultivation of coral fragments for six months, followed by their transplantation to a degraded reef site as established colonies. Methods: Coral fragments of opportunity were collected and cultivated in table-type nurseries from September 2023 to March 2024. After the nursery phase, fragments were transplanted to the restoration site using PVC bases affixed to the rocky substrate with epoxy putty. Transplanted colonies were monitored in situ until March 2025 to assess growth and survival. Results: During the nursery phase, cultivated fragments exhibited a mean net linear extension of 2.23 cm and 100 % survival. From the nursery stage through the post-transplantation period, growth rates were 0.0127 cm day–¹ (r² = 0.99, p = 1.10 × 10–¹⁹) in height, 0.0168 cm day–¹ (r² = 0.98, p = 1.31 × 10–¹⁸) in maximum diameter, and 0.0163 cm day–¹ (r² = 0.96, p = 1.80 × 10–¹⁴) in minimum diameter. Overall survival following transplantation was 82.5 %. Conclusions: The growth and survival rates observed are consistent with previously reported values for Pocillopora in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. These findings support the robustness and reproducibility of the proposed methodology and highlight its potential to generate viable coral colonies for outplanting, thereby enhancing restoration success in degraded reef systems. |
| País: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Recursos: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Idioma: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:portal.revistas.ucr.ac.cr:article/7738 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rrbt/article/view/7738 |
| Palavra-chave: | growth rate; survival rate; nursery; transplanting; active restoration; Pichilingue. tasa de crecimiento; tasa de supervivencia; vivero; trasplante; restauración activa; Pichilingue. |