Evaluation of three species coral (Acropora branching) transplantation, case study; pantai tirtawangi Banyuwangi East Java

Abstract

Abstract The coral reef plays an important role in the marine ecosystem. These ecosystems are currently in decline due to a variety of factors such as irresponsible fishing, live coral capture for commercial purposes, seawater acidification, and others. Several attempts have been made to improve the situation, one of which was the transplantation method. Three Acropora species, Acropora Brueggemanni, Acropora Nobilis, and Acropora yongei, were planted at the best depth using the PVC rack method (5 meters) Tirtawangi Beach is located in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia. We tracked the survival and growth of three transplanted corals on a monthly basis. A descriptive analysis was performed to determine the relationship between both and environmental parameters. The survival and growth rates of three Acropora corals transplanted at the optimal depth were discovered to be different for each species. Meanwhile, the three species' survival rates ranged from 96 to 100 percent, and their growth rates (mean SD) were 0.35 ± 0.11, 0.81 ±0.39, 0.47 ±0.15 cm.month-1, respectively. Furthermore, fragment adaptability to environmental changes is a major factor determining fragment growth, survival, and regeneration.