Reef rugosity has been severely degraded along the Florida Reef Tract (FRT) leading to the loss of key ecological services that protect the Florida coastline. Coral restoration may mitigate the decline of coral populations and restore ecosystem services of previously degraded reefs. A restored reef may be more effective at attenuating wave energy if the outplanted coral stock is itself resistant to physical disturbance. This resistance may be tied to the plastic growth phase of coral fragments in offshore nurseries which primarily employ “tree” structures floating in the water column and “block” structures attached to the substrate. Here, we conduct a mechanical analysis of nursery raised fragments to investigate the differences between the two grow-out platforms in mechanical strength. Corals grown on blocks were on average 35% more dense and 42% less porous than corals grown on trees. These skeletal characteristics increased the compressive strength of block-reared corals by 99% and increased the flexural strength by 72% when compared to tree-reared corals. The increased mechanical strength may decrease branch fragmentation in block-reared corals but may not reduce whole-colony fragmentation as the strength of the hardbottom substrate was determined to influence whole-colony dislodgement in previous studies. Therefore, we recommend that restoration practitioners focus on mitigating boring species and implement outplanting methodologies that increase the bond strength of the coral and hardbottom substrate to decrease whole-colony fragmentation in high energy environments before focusing on implementing block structures in nurseries.
- Examining structural and mechanical properties of the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis: effects of nursery grow-out platforms on mechanical strength
- Patrick Michael Kiel
- Diego Lirman (Chair) - University of Miami, Rosenstiel - Marine Biology & EcologyLandolf Rhode-Barbarigos (Committee Member) - University of Miami, CoE - Civil Arch & Env EngineeringPrannoy Suraneni (Committee Member) - University of Miami, CoE - Civil Arch & Env EngineeringJane Valentine Carrick (Committee Member) - University of Miami, Rosenstiel School
- Bachelor of Science (BS), University of Miami; Undergraduate Thesis
- Marine Science
- 35
- Rosenstiel School; Rosenstiel - Undergraduate Studies
- English
- Thesis
- 991031746819402976