Transplanting Coral Fragments to Damaged Coral Reefs in a National Park Planting the Seeds to Recovery?
Florida Caribbean Science Center and Center for Coastal and Regional Marine Studies. 2002. Transplanting Coral Fragments to Damaged Coral Reefs in a National Park Planting the Seeds to Recovery?. Open-File Report 2002-295
Coral reefs are the most complex marine ecosystem on Earth and are essential in the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of plant and animal species. Reefs: ^ protect coastlines from battering storm waves; ^ provide shelter and food for economically valuable fishery species; ^ are sources of new compounds with pharmaceutical potential; ^ provide food for local communities; ^ attract snorkelers, divers, and recreational fishers who contribute millions of dollars to local economies; ^ play a significant role in the Earth's carbon budget. Over the past two decades, coral reefs in the western North Atlantic, including those within Virgin Islands National Park, have incurred damage from diseases, hurricanes, coral preda- tors, and human activities. Diseases and hurricanes have played a major role. Degradation from human impacts has escalated simply because there are more and more people living near or depend- ing on the sea. Most significantly, there has been little to no recovery on dam- aged reefs and the amount of living coral continues to decline. Damaged coral reefs cannot be restored to their original condition. However, interest in restoration has heightened due to the increased inci- dence of damage and the continuing lack of recovery on Caribbean reefs. Reintroduction of coral colonies to dam- aged reefs may initiate and help speed recovery.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Florida Caribbean Science Center; Center for Coastal and Regional Marine Studies
- Date of Issue
- 2002-07
- Units
- HIST , SFCN
- Keywords
- Caribbean, Center for Coastal and Regional Marine Studies, Coral, Coral Reefs, Damage, damaged, ehistory, Florida, Florida Caribbean Science Center, Fragment, History, Marine, National Park, Recovery, Reef, Reefs, Transplant, Transplanting