Ecological solutions to reef degradation: optimizing coral reef restoration in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic.

Diego Lirman,Stephanie Schopmeyer

doi:10.7717/peerj.2597

Abstract

Reef restoration activities have proliferated in response to the need to mitigate coral declines and recover lost reef structure, function, and ecosystem services. Here, we describe the recent shift from costly and complex engineering solutions to recover degraded reef structure to more economical and efficient ecological approaches that focus on recovering the living components of reef communities. We review the adoption and expansion of the coral gardening framework in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic where practitioners now grow and outplant 10,000’s of corals onto degraded reefs each year. We detail the steps for establishing a gardening program as well as long-term goals and direct and indirect benefits of this approach in our region. With a strong scientific basis, coral gardening activities now contribute significantly to reef and species recovery, provide important scientific, education, and outreach opportunities, and offer alternate livelihoods to local stakeholders. While challenges still remain, the transition from engineering to ecological solutions for reef degradation has opened the field of coral reef restoration to a wider audience poised to contribute to reef conservation and recovery in regions where coral losses and recruitment bottlenecks hinder natural recovery.

Highlights

The worldwide decline of coral reefs over the past several decades has been devastating in the Caribbean where reefs have sustained massive losses, especially of reef-builders such as Acropora cervicornis, A. palmata, and Orbicella spp. (Gardner et al, 2003; Hoegh-Guldberg et al, 2007)
As reef restoration activities and programs in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic have transitioned from costly engineering projects into efficient ecological approaches, the coral gardening framework has “come of age” in the past decade and is at the forefront of this important and emerging field
While challenges and data gaps remain, coral propagation and outplanting within a gardening framework conducted at meaningful scales and supported by strong science can play a significant role in the restoration of coral reef communities, the restitution of ecologic and economic services, and the recovery of threatened coral taxa

Summary

Introduction

The worldwide decline of coral reefs over the past several decades has been devastating in the Caribbean where reefs have sustained massive losses, especially of reef-builders such as Acropora cervicornis, A. palmata, and Orbicella spp. (Gardner et al, 2003; Hoegh-Guldberg et al, 2007).

Results

Conclusion