11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

24.1092
Lessons Learned On Demonstration Sites For Coral Reef Restoration in Thailand
Thamasak YEEMIN* 1 , Makamas SUTTHACHEEP 1 , Nipat SOMKLEEB 1 , Chaiyaporn
LOCHAYA 1 , Nisit RUENGSAWANG 2
1 Department of Biology, Faculty Of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok,
Thailand, 2 Biology, Rajamangkala University of Technology Krungthep, Bangkok,
Thailand
There are numerous documentations of coral reef restoration methods in the last decade.
The objective of this paper is to provide lessons learned on demonstration sites for coral
reef restoration in Krabi Province, the Andaman Sea and Mu Koh Chang, the Gulf of
Thailand. The demonstration sites for coral reef restoration were carried out in limited
demonstration areas where they can be easily controlled and managed for the benefit of
ecotourism, education, raising public awareness, ecosystem restoration and research.
Local communities, government agencies, private sector and NGOs have participated
actively in the planning and implementation processes for their direct and indirect
benefits from the projects. Natural coral fragments were used in order to increase the
survival of natural coral fragments that might otherwise have had low survival because
they were susceptible to being buried. Several coral reef restoration methods showed at
the demonstration sites such as; i) additional substrates for coral recruitment by using
clusters of cylindrical concretes lay in a triangle model; ii) attaching branching Acropora
spp. with screws to designed PVC pipe frames in the coral nursery area; iii) additional
substrates for coral recruitment and attaching coral fragments by using clusters of
concrete blocks fused in horizontal and vertical directions; and iv) attaching branching
fragments to dead branching corals by means of plastic straps. We suggest that
government agencies, tourism businessmen and local communities encourage and
strengthen collaborative management of the demonstration sites for coral reef restoration
in order to develop key features of long-term successful management systems.
24.1093
Rehabilitation Reef Habitat With Coral Transplantation To Increase Resilience Of
Reef Habitat And Community Economic
Hery YUSAMANDRA 1 , Hery YUSAMANDRA* 1 , Hery YUSAMANDRA 2
1 -, Reef Check Indonesia Foundation, Denpasar, Indonesia, 2 -, Hayati Lestari Foundation,
Padang, Indonesia
The activity to rehabilitate coral reef have been done in Sungai Pisang village on West
Sumatera Province since 2005. Location selected are coral reef habitat which has damage
after mass bleaching event in 1997 and destroyed area as consequence of destructive
fishing activity using cyanide and bomb by fisherman around there. Objective of this
activity are to rehabilitate reef habitat which has damage by coral transplantation and
increasing public awareness by creating artificial reef garden with local community in
Sungai Pisang village. Method used is by farming the fragment coral on “small-ball”
concrect substrat. Corals fragment is glued to substrate by using special glue from cement
powder. After one month that substrat planting to the three type of permanent substrat
are build from concrect artificial reef, iron plate and coral rubble. Corals species that
collected based on dominant species around location are Acropora spp., Millepora sp.,
Pocillopora spp., Euphyllia glabrescent, Galaxea fasciata and Seriatopora sp. The
artificial reef building and corals cultivation rack had been laying down in two depths
that are 6-9 meters and 10-12 meters. Based on the research shown that growth of coral in
depth 6-9 meters better than 10-12 meters. Life survival rate of coral fragment in depth 6-
9 meters equal to 80.5% while in depth 10-12 meters equal to 65%. Expected, in the
future this technique can be replicate to another area that suitable as coral rehabilitation
site because this technique are not expensive and easy to apply by community. In the
long term it can help increase diversity of the reef habitat become more resilience and
also increase resilience of community economics with alternative livelihood by
ecotourism activity.
Poster Mini-Symposium 24: Reef Restoration
24.1094
Reef Restoration at Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Belize, Central America
Lisa CARNE* 1
1 Independent, Placencia, Belize
Laughing Bird Caye National Park (LBCNP) has been re-seeded with 20 Elkhorn coral
(Acropora palmata) fragments transplanted from naturally recurring stands in Gladden Spit and
the Silk Cayes Marine Reserve (GSSCMR). Elkhorn coral was prevalent at LBCNP until
1997/98. LBCNP is a World Heritage Site located approximately 12 miles east of Placencia, in
Southern Belize, Central America. GSSCMR is an additional 10 miles to the east, on the outer
barrier reef. All fragments demonstrated new tissue growth within 2-4 weeks of placement;
many have already grown onto their new substrate. This methodology establishes a restorative
technique for decimated A. palmata populations in Belize, and can be utilized in response to
future hurricane events, ship groundings and/or anchor damage. It is estimated that this coral’s
abundance has been reduced by 98% Caribbean-wide, in the last three decades. All of the
Acroporid spp. found in the Caribbean were recently listed as “Threatened” under the
Endangered Species Act in the US.
Elkhorn coral is known to be fast growing (5-6 inches per year) in ideal conditions. Elkhorn
coral is structurally important, providing protection to fragile cayes during storms, allows reef
growth to keep pace with changing sea levels and provides essential habitat for over 100’s
species of fish and invertebrates, including the commercially important spiny lobster, Panulirus
argus. No other Caribbean reef building coral species are able to fulfill these essential
ecosystem functions. Mapping has begun for this species in Southern Belize and should be
continued nationwide, to establish sources of A. palmata transplants in the event of future
hurricanes or ship groundings.
The potential long-term conservation and economic benefits are enormous as both the tourism
and fishing industry rely on the health of Belize’s marine eco-system.
24.1095
Characteristics Of Seagrass Beds in Coral Reef Area And Their Restoration
Takahiko INOUE* 1 , Sayuko NINOMIYA 1 , Takashi MASUMOTO 1 , Yoshikatsu NAKANO 2 ,
Makoto TSUCHIYA 2
1 TOKYO KYUEI CO., Ltd, Kawaguchi, Japan, 2 University of the Ryukyus, JAPAN, Nishihara,
Japan
In Okinawa, southern Japan, well-developed coral reefs are extending, and seagrass beds
composed of several seagrass species are distributed in moats. Seagrass beds are known to have
important roles as the spawning and/or nursery grounds of marine fishes and invertebrates and
as the feeding field of dugongs. Nevertheless, the areas of seagrass beds are reducing due to
shore protection works and reclamation. Recently, the restoration of seagrass beds is being
attempted. The distribution of such seagrass beds associated with coral reefs are not restricted
in Okinawan waters but are widely distributed in other tropical and sub-tropical regions in the
world, and therefore, techniques for the protection and/or cultivation of seagrass beds are
strongly desired for their ecological importance. We have been observing seagrass beds in
Okinawa. It was found that although a seagrass bed was macroscopically formed as the mixture
of several coexisting species, the distributions of different species segregated according to their
ecological preference on current environment and substrate type. Two component species of a
seagrass bed, Cymodocea serrulata and Halodule uninervis, developed their rhizomes only near
the surface of the sea bottom, and thus they could entirely be swept away by flushing currents
generated by a strong typhoon. On the other hand, Thalassia hemprichii, that extends its
rhizome deep into the sea bottom to settle, might not easily be swept by such strong currents.
The species could form more stable meadows in areas where substrate contained large coral
gravel in high proportion. T. hemprichii also formed a stable meadow in a combined
community with live Montipora digitata. Based on the above findings, we introduce effective
techniques, including some prospects, for seagrass bed restoration suitable to the ecological
characteristics of each species.
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