CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
Coral Outplanting Workshop
Central Caribbean Marine Institute
Cayman Islands Department of Environment
Project advisor Dr. Diego Lirman
(University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science)
June 27-28, 2013 Little Cayman
Prepared by Katie Lohr
Conservation Coordinator, CCMI
July 2013
June 1, 2013
CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
June 1, 2013
Executive Summary
In 2012, a pilot nursery of Acropora cervicornis was set up in Little Cayman to test field protocols that
would result in new growth of one of the most endangered coral species in the Caribbean. This shortterm goal has been achieved through a partnership between the Central Caribbean Marine Institute,
the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and Dr. Diego Lirman (RSMAS-University of Miami).
Our long-term goal is, through an expanded permanent nursery programme, to establish a healthy
population of A. cervicornis on the reefs surrounding the Cayman Islands. A key conclusion of the Coral
Outplanting Workshop (hosted at the Little Cayman Research Centre, June 27-28 of 2013) was that
achieving this goal requires a major expansion of the size and number of nurseries, as well as an
increased scope of the outplanting efforts. With local environmental management protocol
progressing, this expansion should begin in the next 6 months. We have begun designing a strategy to
consolidate a permanent nursery programme. The design will require testing, research, and the
commitment to address a number of important questions which will be discussed in our next workshop
planned for February 2014.
John Bothwell, Cayman Islands Department of Environment
Diego Lirman, University of Miami, RSMAS
Carrie Manfrino, Central Caribbean Marine Institute
CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
June 1, 2013
I. Workshop Overview
The objectives of the Coral Outplanting Workshop organised by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute
(CCMI) with the participation of the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DOE) were to (a)
review the long-term goals of the collaborative Coral Nursery Project, (b) instruct workshop participants
on best-practice coral outplanting techniques, and (c) provide participants with relevant field experience
in coral outplanting. An ancillary purpose of this workshop was to create an opportunity for CCMI and
DOE to discuss the following steps required to augment and expand the coral nursery in order to match
the long-term goals of the project. This document will summarise the main outcomes of the workshop.
II. Pilot Outplanting
A total of 68 small fragments were transplanted from the nursery to two reef sites. Thirty three
fragments were outplanted onto ICON Reef and 35 onto Coral City. ICON reef was selected as an ideal
pilot outplanting location because of its convenient location, just a few metres north of the existing
nursery. This shallow site (~30 ft), characterised by a spur-and-groove topography, will be easily
accessed from CCMI for monitoring purposes. Coral City (~35 ft), located on the south side of the island,
was selected as a second outplanting site given that it was home to two of the parent colonies that were
fragmented to populate the nursery. The 68 outplants represent four of the five genotypes currently
growing in the nursery.
Sites within ICON reef and Coral City were selected based on the availability of hard non-living substrate
and the absence of competitors (e.g. Agaricia spp., Millepora spp., gorgonians, and fleshy algae). To
select the location for individual fragments on the substratum we delineated a 1 x 1 m grid within a 5 x 5
m of reef using transect tapes. To provide an attachment point for each colony 4-inch masonry nails
were installed on the substratum directly under the intersections of the grid. Algae and sediment were
removed from within approximately 1 inch around the nail. A small amount of marine epoxy was placed
at the base of each nail to secure it and to provide an additional site of attachment for the coral
fragments. Fragments were attached to the nails by pushing the base of the colony into the epoxy and
securing the main branch of the fragment to the masonry nail with two cable ties. The bottom cable tie
was colour-coded to indicate the genotype of each fragment.
Fragments were measured 0-6 days after installation, and will be checked one month following
outplanting, and quarterly thereafter.
III. Discussion Points
1) Expansion of the existing staghorn coral nursery in Little Cayman: addition of new genotypes
CCMI will aim to add tissue from 10 new parent colonies to the existing coral nursery within the
next three months. Fragments will be collected from staghorn corals outside Marine Parks by
Katie Lohr under the supervision of Keith Neale, upon approval by the Marine Conservation
Board (MCB) via John Bothwell. This addition of tissue will increase the size and genetic diversity
of the existing nursery, and will require the addition of new structures to existing pins at the
nursery site.
CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
June 1, 2013
III. Discussion Points (Continued)
2) Genetic mapping of Acropora cervicornis colonies on Little Cayman, Grand Cayman, and Cayman
Brac
Upon obtaining authorisation from DOE and the MCB, and once the CITES permit is granted, 5mm tissue samples will be collected from 100 staghorn colonies on all three islands. This will
help CCMI and DOE to understand the distribution and genetic diversity of this species
throughout the country. Collected samples will be sent to project partner Diego Lirman
(University of Miami), who will conduct the genetic analyses.
3) Installation of permanent nursery structures at ICON site
In order to expand the capacity of the existing nursery, new pins to support additional nursery
structures must be installed. DOE has submitted a proposal to the MCB and authorisation to
move forward with this installation, if received, is expected within 6 months.
4) Addition of new nurseries in Little Cayman
We will aim to add 2 additional coral nurseries in Little Cayman over the next 1-2 years. The first
new nursery is proposed to be located on the north side of the island, near Salt Rock/Jigsaw.
Adding this nursery will (a) eliminate the need to drill and install new permanent pins, because
in this new site the structures can be secured with sand anchors, (b) allow the collection of
parent tissue from deeper sites, as the nursery will be placed in 35-40 feet of water, and (c)
provide redundancy in the event that one nursery is damaged or destroyed as a result of
inclement weather. Subsequent to the installation of the Salt Rock nursery, an additional
nursery will be created on the south side of Little Cayman, at a location to be determined.
5) Additional outplanting
The outplanting effort in June 2013 was limited by the availability of tissue (size of fragments) in
the nursery. Following the proposed expansion of the nursery and the addition of new parent
colonies a second larger-scale outplanting effort would be needed. To maximise the chances of
survival, colonies selected from the nursery will be larger (i.e. > 15 cm in diameter) for the
second round of outplanting. Moreover, to initiate the development of larger staghorn thickets,
a higher number of colonies (i.e. > 50) should be outplanted per site.
6)
Establishment of CCMI as a training centre for organisations wishing to create nurseries
It is the goal of CCMI and DOE to consolidate CCMI as a training centre for others who wish to
establish nursery projects in the Cayman Islands. Training will be provided by CCMI staff at the
Little Cayman Research Centre, and authorisation to initiate a coral nursery project may be
obtained by applicants from the DOE subject to Cabinet approval. The DOE will develop a formal
reporting process so that all progress and problems are communicated to DOE and CCMI
scientists. This reporting process will ensure that adequate procedures are being used within a
given project. Failure to report and/or properly maintain a nursery should result in the
revocation of a permit.
CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
June 1, 2013
Proposed Milestones
August 2013 – Nursery Maintenance and Outplant Monitoring
Outplants will be monitored in early August and quarterly thereafter for a period of one year. Nursery
maintenance and monitoring of nursery colony health will continue as needed, on a biweekly to monthly
basis. Nursery checks may, in some cases, be combined with monitoring of outplants at ICON Reef.
September 2013 (pending authorisation by MCB/DOE) – Collection of new parent colonies
The expansion of the existing nursery (i.e. addition of new line and tree nurseries to existing pins) and
addition of ten new parent colonies to the nursery will commence in September as outlined in section
III, point 1 of this document.
January 2014 (pending authorisation by MCB/DOE) – Installation of permanent ICON nursery
Installation of new pins and additional nursery structures at the ICON site will commence as outlined in
section III, point 3 of this document
February 2014 – Coral Nursery Workshop III: Coral Propagation Strategies to Mitigate the Effects of
Climate Change
March 2014 (pending authorisation by MCB/DOE) – Installation of Salt Rock nursery
The first of two new nursery sites will be established near Salt Rock Dock as outlined in section III, point
4 of this document.
May 2014 (pending authorisation by MCB/DOE) – Outplanting
Once the nursery has had time to grow and expand, a second round of outplanting is recommended to a
variety of sites (to be determined) surrounding Little Cayman, as outlined in section III, point 5 of this
document.
CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
June 1, 2013
Workshop Photo Gallery
A tree nursery (left) and line nursery (right)
at the ICON temporary nursery site in Little
Cayman.
Dr. Diego Lirman of the University of Miami
prepares to demonstrate techniques for
outplant attachment
.
CCMI volunteer Greg Locher practices
securing an outplant using a dead staghorn
skeleton.
Paul Chin of the Cayman Islands Department of
Environment installs a masonry nail at the Coral City
outplanting site on the south side of Little Cayman
CORAL OUTPLANTING WORKSHOP
A newly transplanted Acropora cervicornis colony at Coral City.
June 1, 2013