2020
E. Bayraktarov, M. Angel
Review of coral reef restoration efforts in Latin American countries and territories Journal Article
In: Plos ONE , 15 (8), 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Caribbean, coral reefs, coral reefs restauration
@article{Bayraktarov2020,
title = {Review of coral reef restoration efforts in Latin American countries and territories},
author = {Bayraktarov, E., M. Angel, J.E. Arias, E.A. Avila Pech, N. Charuvi, V. Galván, M. Gnecco, S.D. Guendulain Garcia, E.A. Hernández Delgado, J.A. Marin Moraga, S. Mercado, P. Montoya Maya, M. Morikawa, G. Nava, V. Pizarro, R. Sellares, S.E. Suleimán Ramos, J. Calle Triviño, T. Villalobos Cubero, M. Villalpando, F. Virdis, C. Zepeda Centeno, & S. Frias-Torres.},
editor = {PLOS One},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228477},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-08-05},
journal = {Plos ONE },
volume = {15},
number = {8},
abstract = {Coral reefs worldwide are degrading due to climate change, overfishing, pollution, coastal development, coral bleaching, and diseases. In areas where the natural recovery of an ecosystem is negligible or protection through management interventions insufficient, active restoration becomes critical. The Reef Futures symposium in 2018 brought together over 400 reef restoration experts, businesses, and civil organizations, and galvanized them to save coral reefs through restoration or identify alternative solutions. The symposium highlighted that solutions and discoveries from long-term and ongoing coral reef restoration projects in Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and Eastern Tropical Pacific were not well known internationally. Therefore, a meeting of scientists and practitioners working in these locations was held to compile the data on the extent of coral reef restoration efforts, advances and challenges. Here, we present unpublished data from 12 coral reef restoration case studies from five Latin American countries, describe their motivations and techniques used, and provide estimates on total annual project cost per unit area of reef intervened, spatial extent as well as project duration. We found that most projects used direct transplantation, the coral gardening method, micro-fragmentation or larval propagation, and aimed to optimize or scale-up restoration approaches (51%) or provide alternative, sustainable livelihood opportunities (15%) followed by promoting coral reef conservation stewardship and re-establishing a self-sustaining, functioning reef ecosystems (both 13%). Reasons for restoring coral reefs were mainly biotic and experimental (both 42%), followed by idealistic and pragmatic motivations (both 8%). The median annual total cost from all projects was $93,000 USD (range: $10,000 USD—$331,802 USD) (2018 dollars) and intervened a median spatial area of 1 ha (range: 0.06 ha—8.39 ha). The median project duration was 3 years; however, projects have lasted up to 17 years. Project feasibility was high with a median of 0.7 (range: 0.5–0.8). This study closes the knowledge gap between academia and practitioners and overcomes the language barrier by providing the first comprehensive compilation of data from ongoing coral reef restoration efforts in Latin America.},
keywords = {Caribbean, coral reefs, coral reefs restauration},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Coral reefs worldwide are degrading due to climate change, overfishing, pollution, coastal development, coral bleaching, and diseases. In areas where the natural recovery of an ecosystem is negligible or protection through management interventions insufficient, active restoration becomes critical. The Reef Futures symposium in 2018 brought together over 400 reef restoration experts, businesses, and civil organizations, and galvanized them to save coral reefs through restoration or identify alternative solutions. The symposium highlighted that solutions and discoveries from long-term and ongoing coral reef restoration projects in Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and Eastern Tropical Pacific were not well known internationally. Therefore, a meeting of scientists and practitioners working in these locations was held to compile the data on the extent of coral reef restoration efforts, advances and challenges. Here, we present unpublished data from 12 coral reef restoration case studies from five Latin American countries, describe their motivations and techniques used, and provide estimates on total annual project cost per unit area of reef intervened, spatial extent as well as project duration. We found that most projects used direct transplantation, the coral gardening method, micro-fragmentation or larval propagation, and aimed to optimize or scale-up restoration approaches (51%) or provide alternative, sustainable livelihood opportunities (15%) followed by promoting coral reef conservation stewardship and re-establishing a self-sustaining, functioning reef ecosystems (both 13%). Reasons for restoring coral reefs were mainly biotic and experimental (both 42%), followed by idealistic and pragmatic motivations (both 8%). The median annual total cost from all projects was $93,000 USD (range: $10,000 USD—$331,802 USD) (2018 dollars) and intervened a median spatial area of 1 ha (range: 0.06 ha—8.39 ha). The median project duration was 3 years; however, projects have lasted up to 17 years. Project feasibility was high with a median of 0.7 (range: 0.5–0.8). This study closes the knowledge gap between academia and practitioners and overcomes the language barrier by providing the first comprehensive compilation of data from ongoing coral reef restoration efforts in Latin America.
2018
Fabiola Rivera-Irizarry Alex E. Mercado-Molina, Jaime Fonseca-Miranda
In: Marine Biology Research , 14, 2018 (1), pp. 41 - 51, 2018.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Acropora cervicornis, Caribbean, Climate change, Coral Reef Decline, coral reefs, Corals, Land-Based Source Pollution, Marine Protected Areas, Puerto Rico, Reef Restoration
@article{Mercado-Molina2018,
title = {Growth facilitation by the octocoral Gorgonia ventalina explains spatial difference in the population size structure of the common demosponge Ircinia felix},
author = {Alex E. Mercado-Molina, Fabiola Rivera-Irizarry, Jaime Fonseca-Miranda, & Yesenia Bruno-Laureano },
editor = {Paco Cárdenas},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17451000.2017.1367098},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2017.1367098},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-11-07},
journal = {Marine Biology Research },
volume = {14, 2018},
number = {1},
pages = {41 - 51},
abstract = {In this study, the demography of the common demosponge Ircinia felix was examined at Tamarindo, a coral reef located in the island municipality of Culebra, Puerto Rico. A preliminary study comparing the size structure of two subpopulations within the reef, Tamarindo Norte (TN) and Tamarindo Sur (TS), indicated that sponges at TN are significantly larger than sponges at TS. This result served as a baseline for the present comparative study in which we aimed to determine whether the spatial differences in population size structure can be explained either by a difference in rates of survival, growth, or recruitment, or a combination of these. To accomplish our goal, we followed the growth, survival and recruitment of I. felix at the two localities for one year. Growth was the only demographic parameter that differed significantly between localities. Because the most obvious distinction between the study sites was the absence of the octocoral Gorgonia ventalina at TS, we hypothesized that the faster overall growth rate of sponges at TN was related to the presence of the octocoral. To test this hypothesis, we compared growth rates between sponges associated with the octocoral and those individuals not associated. We found that sponges growing near G. ventalina grew significantly faster than non-associated sponges. This result suggests that the octocoral facilitates the growth of I. felix and therefore may account, at least in part, for the spatial differences in population size structure.},
keywords = {Acropora cervicornis, Caribbean, Climate change, Coral Reef Decline, coral reefs, Corals, Land-Based Source Pollution, Marine Protected Areas, Puerto Rico, Reef Restoration},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
In this study, the demography of the common demosponge Ircinia felix was examined at Tamarindo, a coral reef located in the island municipality of Culebra, Puerto Rico. A preliminary study comparing the size structure of two subpopulations within the reef, Tamarindo Norte (TN) and Tamarindo Sur (TS), indicated that sponges at TN are significantly larger than sponges at TS. This result served as a baseline for the present comparative study in which we aimed to determine whether the spatial differences in population size structure can be explained either by a difference in rates of survival, growth, or recruitment, or a combination of these. To accomplish our goal, we followed the growth, survival and recruitment of I. felix at the two localities for one year. Growth was the only demographic parameter that differed significantly between localities. Because the most obvious distinction between the study sites was the absence of the octocoral Gorgonia ventalina at TS, we hypothesized that the faster overall growth rate of sponges at TN was related to the presence of the octocoral. To test this hypothesis, we compared growth rates between sponges associated with the octocoral and those individuals not associated. We found that sponges growing near G. ventalina grew significantly faster than non-associated sponges. This result suggests that the octocoral facilitates the growth of I. felix and therefore may account, at least in part, for the spatial differences in population size structure.
2014
Alfredo Montanez-Acuna Alex E. Mercado-Molina, Ruber Rodri’guez-Barreras; Sabat, Alberto M.
Revisiting the population status of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in northern Puerto Rico Journal Article
In: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, (doi:10.1017/S002531541400188X), pp. 1-8, 2014.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Caribbean, coral reefs, Diadema antillarum, population recovery, Puerto Rico
@article{Mercado-Molina2014,
title = {Revisiting the population status of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in northern Puerto Rico},
author = {Alex E. Mercado-Molina, Alfredo Montanez-Acuna, Ruber Rodri’guez-Barreras,
Roberto Colon-Miranda, Geraldine Diaz-Ortega, Neidibel Martinez-Gonzalez,
Sandra Schleier-Herna’ndez and Alberto M. Sabat},
url = {https://www.sampr.org/sam/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Mercado-Molina-et-al.-2014_Diadema.pdf},
year = {2014},
date = {2014-11-14},
journal = {Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom},
number = {doi:10.1017/S002531541400188X},
pages = {1-8},
abstract = {The mass mortality suffered by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum between 1983–1984 is considered one of the major causes of coral reef degradation in the Caribbean. Its near disappearance resulted in a disproportionate growth of macroalgae that has led to a ‘phase shift’ from coral-to-algal dominated reefs. The close relationship between this echinoid and the functioning of coral reef ecosystems makes it imperative to better understand the potential for recovery of its populations. From 2009 to
2011, we assessed the density and size structure of D. antillarum in various reefs where previous population data were available. Results indicate a modest increase in density in all localities with respect to the last time they were surveyed in 2003/2004. Nevertheless, density values are still lower than values reported for the island prior to the die-off. Overall density did not surpass 1.49 ind. per m2, and did not change considerably during the studied period. Lack of population growth coincided with a lack of juveniles; suggesting that population growth at the studied sites may be limited by the number of individuals recruiting into the juvenile stage.},
keywords = {Caribbean, coral reefs, Diadema antillarum, population recovery, Puerto Rico},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The mass mortality suffered by the sea urchin Diadema antillarum between 1983–1984 is considered one of the major causes of coral reef degradation in the Caribbean. Its near disappearance resulted in a disproportionate growth of macroalgae that has led to a ‘phase shift’ from coral-to-algal dominated reefs. The close relationship between this echinoid and the functioning of coral reef ecosystems makes it imperative to better understand the potential for recovery of its populations. From 2009 to
2011, we assessed the density and size structure of D. antillarum in various reefs where previous population data were available. Results indicate a modest increase in density in all localities with respect to the last time they were surveyed in 2003/2004. Nevertheless, density values are still lower than values reported for the island prior to the die-off. Overall density did not surpass 1.49 ind. per m2, and did not change considerably during the studied period. Lack of population growth coincided with a lack of juveniles; suggesting that population growth at the studied sites may be limited by the number of individuals recruiting into the juvenile stage.
2011, we assessed the density and size structure of D. antillarum in various reefs where previous population data were available. Results indicate a modest increase in density in all localities with respect to the last time they were surveyed in 2003/2004. Nevertheless, density values are still lower than values reported for the island prior to the die-off. Overall density did not surpass 1.49 ind. per m2, and did not change considerably during the studied period. Lack of population growth coincided with a lack of juveniles; suggesting that population growth at the studied sites may be limited by the number of individuals recruiting into the juvenile stage.
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