Study highlights key factors for successful restoration of elkhorn coral colonies

Study highlights key factors for successful restoration of elkhorn coral colonies

Coral restoration should prioritize shallower depths with faster currents in low-nutrient environments to promote a healthier microbial community

Miami, FL, – To help rare elkhorn corals survive in Florida waters, coral researchers should place them in shallow ocean locations with fast currents, scientists at the University of Miami NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science explained in a recent publication.

This new insight offers valuable guidance for coral restoration efforts, since elkhorn coral colonies are a key reef-building species throughout Florida and the Caribbean. They play a crucial role in providing structural support to reefs and habitat for many reef species due to their complex branch-like shape.

According to a NOAA assessment published in 2024, the Florida Coral Reef lost 75% of its restored elkhorn coral populations during the Florida marine heat wave in the summer of 2023. Decline of elkhorn corals adversely affects overall ecosystem health and often prompts replacement by other species, such as sponges, macroalgae and other non-reef-building organisms.

A major finding of the study indicates that outplanting of elkhorn coral colonies should prioritize shallower depths with faster currents in low-nutrient environments to promote a healthier microbial community.

Other key findings include:

●      Fine-scale differences in environmental conditions between reef habitats are correlated with differences in survivorship. Specifically, factors such as current velocity and shallower reef depth are associated with higher elkhorn survivorship.

●      Certain bacteria are correlated with coral survivorship.

●      Elevated levels of nitrate, nitrite, and temperature, particularly during summer months, negatively affect elkhorn at the microbial level by potentially contributing to the decline of core bacteria and an increase in potential coral pathogen.

“Understanding how coral genetics and the surrounding environment affect restoration success can help guide conservation efforts worldwide,” said Stephanie Rosales, the lead author of the study and an associate scientist at the Rosenstiel School’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies.

In 2019, the research team documented survivorship rates of four genets on three coral reefs in the upper Florida Keys that are actively being restored. (Genets refers to a genetically unique colony or group of colonies that can be traced back to a single sexual reproductive event.) The scientists collected habitat data, including the assessment of dissolved inorganic nutrient concentration, ocean current data, remotely sensed satellite sea surface temperature, and chlorophyll-a concentrations derived from ocean color radiometric measurements, coral outplant survivorship data, and microbiome data. The team correlated the data to understand how these factors interact.

Coral reefs are critical ecosystems for the planet that support biodiversity, providing habitat for around 25% of all marine species. They also protect coastlines from erosion, support fisheries, and contribute to tourism economies. However, coral reefs are under severe threat due to increased ocean temperature, ocean acidification, pollution, and overfishing.

The success of coral restoration efforts, such as the outplanting of elkhorn coral, can help mitigate reef degradation and help preserve these ecosystems. Understanding the role of genet survivorship, environmental conditions, and the coral microbiome in restoration success allows coral managers to make informed decisions about where and how to restore reefs more effectively.

“Local governments, environmental groups, and coastal managers can apply this knowledge to make better decisions about where to focus restoration projects and how to care for existing coral populations, ultimately helping with fisheries and coastline protections,” said Rosales.

 “It is important to highlight that this study was conducted during a year of minimal bleaching in the Florida Keys. Understanding how bacteria, along with environmental factors such as currents and depth, interact during periods of severe temperature stress and influence coral survivorship remains a critical area for further investigation.” added Rosales.

The study, “Reef site and habitat influence effectiveness of Acropora palmata restoration and its microbiome in the Florida Keys” was published on November 11, 2024, in the journal Nature Earth & Environment.

The research team includes Stephanie M. Rosales, Benjamin D. Young, Allan J. Bright, Enrique Montes, University of Miami Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Jia-Zhong Zhang, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, of the Rosenstiel School, and Dana E. Williams, University of Miami Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Marine Fisheries Service

Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 'Omics OAR grant # NO_0019 and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program.

About the University of Miami and Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

The University of Miami is a private research university and academic health system with a distinct geographic capacity to connect institutions, individuals, and ideas across the hemisphere and around the world. The University’s vibrant and diverse academic community comprises 12 schools and colleges serving more than 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students in more than 180 majors and programs. Located within one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world, the University is building new bridges across geographic, cultural, and intellectual borders, bringing a passion for scholarly excellence, a spirit of innovation, a respect for including and elevating diverse voices, and a commitment to tackling the challenges facing our world. With more than $413 million in research and sponsored program expenditures annually, the University of Miami is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).

Founded in 1943, the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is one of the world’s premier research institutions in the continental United States. The school’s basic and applied research programs seek to improve understanding and prediction of Earth’s geological, oceanic, and atmospheric systems by focusing on four key pillars:

*Saving lives through better forecasting of extreme weather and seismic events. 

*Feeding the world by developing sustainable wild fisheries and aquaculture programs. 

*Unlocking ocean secrets through research on climate, weather, energy and medicine. 

*Preserving marine species, including endangered sharks and other fish, as well as protecting and restoring threatened coral reefs.

www.earth.miami.edu