Outplants of the Threatened Coral Acropora cervicornis Promote Coral Recruitment in a Shallow-Water Coral Reef, Culebra, Puerto Rico

Abstract

The numerous socioeconomic and ecological challenges that coral reef degradation poses in the Greater Caribbean have led to a surge in restoration efforts. In this context, outplanting nursery-reared coral colonies has emerged as one of the most common strategies used to rejuvenate degraded reefs and reinstate critical ecosystem processes such as coral recruitment. However, the extent to which coral outplanting promotes the recruitment of coral species remains a subject of ongoing debate. This study tested the hypothesis that reintroducing the threatened coral Acropora cervicornis to a degraded coral reef promotes coral recruitment. To test our hypothesis, a series of recruitment quadrats were established in an area populated with A. cervicornis outplants and in a reference location devoid of the coral. To further investigate the relationship between A. cervicornis and coral recruitment, an experiment was implemented in which half of the quadrats in the restored area received a coral outplant, while the other half were left undisturbed. After one year, all coral recruits located within the quadrats were counted and identified. It was found that in the restored area the mean recruit density exceeded that of the reference location by a factor of 2.15. Results also unveiled a positive association between coral recruitment and the presence of A. cervicornis. Specifically, the mean recruit density in quadrats that received an A. cervicornis colony was 2.21 to 4.65-times higher than in the quadrats without coral outplants. This intriguing observation underscores the pivotal role of A. cervicornis in shaping the recruitment dynamics of corals within degraded reef areas, highlighting the potential of active coral outplanting to enhance the resilience of deteriorating coral reef ecosystems.