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 Scientist, CCMI
July 2013
June 1, 2013
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) and the
University of Miami 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 maintain 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.
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