During the last 20 years, SAM has developed a multiplicity of hypothesis-driven conservation and restoration projects. Being home to the oldest Community-based coral aquaculture and reef rehabilitation program in the Caribbean, we aim to develop a variety of scientific publications that highlight our commitment towards the conservatiion of our marine resources. Most publications are freely available on our website.
Peer reviewed publications
Vardi, Tali; Hoot, Whitney C.; Levy, Jessica; Shaver, Elizabeth; Winters, R. Scott; Banaszak, Anastazia T.; Baums, Iliana B.; Chamberland, Valérie F.; Cook, Nathan; Gulko, David; Hein, Margaux Y.; Kaufman, Les; Loewe, Michelle; Lundgren, Petra; Lustic, Caitlin; MacGowan, Petra; Matz, Mikhail V.; McGonigle, Miles; McLeod, Ian; Moore, Jennifer; Moore, Tom; Pivard, Sandrine; Pollock, F. Joseph; Rinkevich, Baruch; Suggett, David J.; Suleiman, Samuel; Viehman, T. Shay; Villalobos, Tatiana; Weis, Virginia M.; Wolke, Chelsea; Montoya-Maya, Phanor H. Six priorities to advance the science and practice of coral reef restoration worldwide Journal Article In: Restoration Ecology, vol. 29, iss. 8, no. e13498, pp. 1-7, 2021, ISSN: 1061-2971. Weil, E; Hernández-Delgado, EA; Gonzalez, M; Williams, S; Suleimán-Ramos, S; Figuerola, M; Metz-Estrella, T Spread of the new coral disease “SCTLD” into the Caribbean: implications for Puerto Rico. Journal Article In: Reef Encounter, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 38-43, 2019.2021
@article{Vardi2021,
title = {Six priorities to advance the science and practice of coral reef restoration worldwide},
author = {Tali Vardi and Whitney C. Hoot and Jessica Levy and Elizabeth Shaver and R. Scott Winters and Anastazia T. Banaszak and Iliana B. Baums and Valérie F. Chamberland and Nathan Cook and David Gulko and Margaux Y. Hein and Les Kaufman and Michelle Loewe and Petra Lundgren and Caitlin Lustic and Petra MacGowan and Mikhail V. Matz and Miles McGonigle and Ian McLeod and Jennifer Moore and Tom Moore and Sandrine Pivard and F. Joseph Pollock and Baruch Rinkevich and David J. Suggett and Samuel Suleiman and T. Shay Viehman and Tatiana Villalobos and Virginia M. Weis and Chelsea Wolke and Phanor H. Montoya-Maya},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/rec.13498
https://www.sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Restoration-Ecology-2021-Vardi-Six-priorities-to-advance-the-science-and-practice-of-coral-reef-restoration-worldwide.pdf},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13498},
issn = {1061-2971},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-11-29},
urldate = {2021-11-29},
journal = {Restoration Ecology},
volume = {29},
number = {e13498},
issue = {8},
pages = {1-7},
abstract = {Coral reef restoration is a rapidly growing movement galvanized by the accelerating degradation of the world's tropical coral reefs. The need for concerted and collaborative action focused on the recovery of coral reef ecosystems coalesced in the creation of the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC) in 2017. In March 2020, the CRC leadership team met for a biennial review of international coral reef restoration efforts and a discussion of perceived knowledge and implementation bottlenecks that may impair scalability and efficacy. Herein we present six priorities wherein the CRC will foster scientific advancement and collaboration to: (1) increase restoration efficiency, focusing on scale and cost-effectiveness of deployment; (2) scale up larval-based coral restoration efforts, emphasizing recruit health, growth, and survival; (3) ensure restoration of threatened coral species proceeds within a population-genetics management context; (4) support a holistic approach to coral reef ecosystem restoration; (5) develop and promote the use of standardized terms and metrics for coral reef restoration; and (6) support coral reef restoration practitioners working in diverse geographic locations. These priorities are not exhaustive nor do we imply that accomplishing these tasks alone will be sufficient to restore coral reefs globally; rather these are topics where we feel the CRC community of practice can make timely and significant contributions to facilitate the growth of coral reef restoration as a practical conservation strategy. The goal for these collective actions is to provide tangible, local-scale advancements in reef condition that offset declines resulting from local and global stressors including climate change.},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
2019
@article{Weil2019,
title = {Spread of the new coral disease “SCTLD” into the Caribbean: implications for Puerto Rico.},
author = {E Weil and EA Hernández-Delgado and M Gonzalez and S Williams and S Suleimán-Ramos and M Figuerola and T Metz-Estrella},
url = {https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342477916_REEF_ENCOUNTER_Spread_of_the_new_coral_disease_SCTLD_into_the_Caribbean_implications_for_Puerto_Rico
https://www.agrra.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Weil-et-al.-2020-Reef-Encounter.pdf
https://www.sampr.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Spread-of-the-new-coral-disease-SCTLD-into-the-Caribbean-implications-for-Puerto-Rico.pdf
},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-12-01},
urldate = {2019-12-01},
journal = {Reef Encounter},
volume = {34},
number = {1},
pages = {38-43},
abstract = {The ongoing deterioration and significant decline in live coral cover and diversity in coral reef communities
worldwide is strongly associated with increasing water temperatures linked to Global Climate Change, aided by
anthropogenic activities (Harvell et al. 2004, 2007, 2009; Weil and Rogers 2011; Maynard et al. 2016; Woodley et al.
2016). In the Wider Caribbean, major community structure and function decline was marked by two region-wide,
concurrent, highly virulent disease epizootics in the early 1980’s. These events almost wiped out two foundational
scleractinian species (Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis), and the keystone sea urchin Diadema antillarum. White
band disease (WBD) affected the acroporids and was caused by a complex of vibrio bacteria (Gil-Agudelo et al. 2006).
The Diadema mass mortality had all the trademark characteristics of a virulent, transmissible, bacterial or viral
infection, but the putative pathogen (pathogens) was never identified (Lessios 2016). Populations of both acroporids
and sea urchins suffered over 95% mortalities throughout the wider Caribbean (Gladfelter 1982; Lessios et al. 1984a,b;
Aronson and Precht 2001; Lessios 2016), followed by a cascade of ecological consequences (significant loss of live
coral cover, primary productivity, spatial complexity, biodiversity and fecundity; loss of ecological functions, increase
in algal cover and biomass, etc.), ending in a shift from coral- to algal-dominated communities and the loss of
ecological services to other tropical marine communities and to human beings (Aronson and Precht 2001; Weil and
Rogers 2011). Several other disease-induced mass mortalities of other cnidarians, as well as of massive, plate and
nodular reef-building genera, have in the last 30 years resulted in additional loss of biomass, diversity and live coral
cover on many Caribbean reefs (Miller et al. 2009; Weil et al. 2009a; Weil and Rogers 2011; Bastidas et al. 2011; Weil
et al. 2017). },
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
worldwide is strongly associated with increasing water temperatures linked to Global Climate Change, aided by
anthropogenic activities (Harvell et al. 2004, 2007, 2009; Weil and Rogers 2011; Maynard et al. 2016; Woodley et al.
2016). In the Wider Caribbean, major community structure and function decline was marked by two region-wide,
concurrent, highly virulent disease epizootics in the early 1980’s. These events almost wiped out two foundational
scleractinian species (Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis), and the keystone sea urchin Diadema antillarum. White
band disease (WBD) affected the acroporids and was caused by a complex of vibrio bacteria (Gil-Agudelo et al. 2006).
The Diadema mass mortality had all the trademark characteristics of a virulent, transmissible, bacterial or viral
infection, but the putative pathogen (pathogens) was never identified (Lessios 2016). Populations of both acroporids
and sea urchins suffered over 95% mortalities throughout the wider Caribbean (Gladfelter 1982; Lessios et al. 1984a,b;
Aronson and Precht 2001; Lessios 2016), followed by a cascade of ecological consequences (significant loss of live
coral cover, primary productivity, spatial complexity, biodiversity and fecundity; loss of ecological functions, increase
in algal cover and biomass, etc.), ending in a shift from coral- to algal-dominated communities and the loss of
ecological services to other tropical marine communities and to human beings (Aronson and Precht 2001; Weil and
Rogers 2011). Several other disease-induced mass mortalities of other cnidarians, as well as of massive, plate and
nodular reef-building genera, have in the last 30 years resulted in additional loss of biomass, diversity and live coral
cover on many Caribbean reefs (Miller et al. 2009; Weil et al. 2009a; Weil and Rogers 2011; Bastidas et al. 2011; Weil
et al. 2017).