Seasonal studies on in situ coral transplantation in the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Southeast coast of Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

Since past three decades, coral reefs of the world are degrading at large scales due to climate change and through combination of anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Coral reefs in the 21 islands of Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, Southeast coast of Tamil Nadu, India are also greatly damaged by frequent bleaching events, destructive fishing, invasive algal assemblage, sedimentation, diseases, and destructive waves and currents. To facilitate the restoration of these habitats, an extensive artificial restoration of corals has been implemented as a counter measurement. This conservation practice will help to increases the live coral covers, rebuild the destroyed coral reefs, and protect the reef biodiversity. The present study underwater experiments were revealed that profuse growths of transplanted corals are dependent on coral species and the study sites. There was significant differences in seasonal growth rate at northern side of Hare Island (p = .03), where the maximum mean Acropora coral growth rate around 11.75 cm was observed during summer from initial mean growth 7.65 cm. Similarly, significant variation in growth rate was observed during monsoon between naturally recruited and transplanted corals (p = .02), where naturally recruited coral colonies, and transplanted coral colonies were displayed the maximum mean growth rates as 11.5 cm, and 7.5 cm respectively in two months,. Significance seasonal influence on growth rates of transplanted coral was observed (p = .01). Relatively, Acropora corals have showed faster growth rates and also resistance to environmental influences such as algal invasion, sedimentation, turbidity, and bleaching events.