Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN Impreso: 0034-7744 ISSN electrónico: 2215-2075

OAI: https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/oai
Ex situ culture of coral species Porites lobata (Scleractinia: Poritidae) and Pocillopora damicornis (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae), Costa Rica: first assessment and implications
PDF
HTML
EPUB

Keywords

coral aquaculture; Parque Marino del Pacífico; Porites lobata; Pocillopora damicornis; Costa Rica; survival; growth; culture yield.
acuicultura de coral; Parque Marino del Pacífico; Porites lobata; Pocillopora damicornis; Costa Rica; supervivencia; crecimiento; rendimiento de cultivo.

How to Cite

Marín-Moraga, J. A., Chacón-Guzmán, J., Méndez-Venegas, M., Hernández-Mora, R. A., & Cortés, J. (2023). Ex situ culture of coral species Porites lobata (Scleractinia: Poritidae) and Pocillopora damicornis (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae), Costa Rica: first assessment and implications. Revista De Biología Tropical, 71(S1), e54926. https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop.v71iS1.54926

Abstract

Introduction: Coral reefs worldwide-decline has prompted coral restoration as a viable strategy to rewild vulnerable, foundational coral species. Stony corals are now propagated by the thousands in both in-water and ex situ (land-based) coral nurseries, the latter being unexplored in Costa Rica, despite their potential benefits as a reef management tool. 

Objective: To analyze the viability of ex situ culturing of the Pacific reef-building corals Porites lobata and Pocillopora damicornis at Parque Marino del Pacífico (PMP), Puntarenas, Costa Rica, aquaculture facilities. Methods: From May to October 2018 a total of 180 coral fragments were kept in an aquaculture recirculated system. Survival, growth, and fragment yield in relation to culture medium (physicochemical parameters) were recorded. 

Results: Survival and growth rate varied between species and culture tanks. On average, surviving P. lobata fragments (68.89 %) placed in Tank 1 (T1) grew 216 %, while fragments placed in Tank 2 (T2) had a survival rate of 71.11 % and an increase of 277 % in live tissue area.  P. damicornis fragments survival, basal and crown area percentage increase were: 71.11 %, 980 % and 366 % in T1, and 100 %, 976 % and 287 % in T2. Although fragments survival and growth were net positive, the yield in terms of culture was low, due to culture conditions in the tanks not meeting coral culture optimal requirements. 

Conclusions: Survival and growth of both species varied depending on the tank in which they were placed. Survival was similar to that found in other ex situ studies and growth was similar to those reported in the wild, however culture performance in terms of yield was low. Aquaculture systems at PMP constitute a good base for the cultivation of corals, however for the culture effort to achieve maximum yield, current systems must be optimized according to the requirements of the target coral species. 

https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop..v71iS1.54926
PDF
HTML
EPUB

References

Bartlett, T. C. (2013). Small scale experimental systems for coral research: considerations, planning, and recommendations. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 165 and CRCP, 18, 1–68.

Baums, I. B., Baker, A. C., Davies, S. W., Grottoli, A. G., Kenkel, C. D., Kitchen, S. A., Kuffner, I. B., LaJeunesse, T. C., Matz, M. V., Miller, M. W., Parkinson, J. E., & Shantz, A. A. (2019). Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic. Ecological Applications, 29(8), e01978. https://doi.org/e01978.10.1002/eap.1978.

Borneman, E. (2008). Introduction to the husbandry of corals in aquariums: A review. Public Aquarium Husbandry Series, 2, 3–14.

Calfo, A. (2001). Book of Coral Propagation: Reef Gardening for Aquarists. In C. Williams (Ed.), A Concise Guide to the Successful Care and Culture of Coral Reef Invertebrates (pp. 416). Reading Trees Publications.

Clark, S., & Edwards, A. J. (1995). Coral transplantation as an aid to reef rehabilitation: evaluation of a case study in the Maldive Islands. Coral Reefs, 14(4), 201–213.

Collins, T. J. (2007). ImageJ for microscopy. Biotechniques, 43(S1), S25-S30. https://doi.org/e10.2144/000112517

Doszpot, N. E., McWilliam, M. J., Pratchett, M. S., Hoey, A. S., & Figueira, W. F. (2019). Plasticity in three-dimensional geometry of branching corals along a cross-shelf gradient. Diversity, 11(3), 44. https://doi.org/10.3390/d11030044

Endo, S., Prasetyo, R., & Onaka, S. (2013). Study on attachment methods, retention and growth of transplanting coral. Galaxea, Journal of Coral Reef Studies, 15(Suppl.), 330–335. https://doi.org/10.3755/galaxea.15.330

Forrester, G., Dauksis, R., & Ferguson, M. (2013). Should coral fragments collected for restoration be subdivided to create more, smaller pieces for transplanting? Ecological Restoration, 31(1), 4–7.

Forrester, G. E., O’Connell-Rodwell, C., Baily, P., Forrester, L. M., Giovannini, S., Harmon, L., Karis, R., Krumholz, J., Rodwell, T., Jarecki, L & Jarecki, L. (2011). Evaluating methods for transplanting endangered elkhorn corals in the Virgin Islands. Restoration Ecology, 19(3), 299–306. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2010.00664.x

Forsman, Z. H., Page, C. A., Toonen, R. J., & Vaughan, D. (2015). Growing coral larger and faster: micro-colony-fusion as a strategy for accelerating coral cover. PeerJ, 3, e1313. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1313.

Forsman, Z. H., Rinkevich, B., & Hunter, C. L. (2006). Investigating fragment size for culturing reef-building corals (Porites lobata and P. compressa) in ex situ nurseries. Aquaculture, 261(1), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2006.06.040

Gates, R. D., & Edmunds, P. J. (1999). The physiological mechanisms of acclimatization in tropical reef corals. American Zoologist, 39(1), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/39.1.30

Gochfeld, D. J., & Aeby, G. S. (1997). Control of populations of the coral-feeding nudibranch Phestilla sibogae by fish and crustacean predators. Marine Biology, 130(1), 63–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002270050225

Gómez, P. P (2014). Tasas de crecimiento de Pocillopora verrucosa, P. damicornis y P. capitata en Isla Isabel, Nayarit: comparación intra-anual y entre sustratos natural y artificial [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Universidad de Guadalajara.

Grömping, U. (2015). Using R and RStudio for Data Management, Statistical Analysis and Graphics. Journal of Statistical Software, 68, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v068.b04

Grover, R., Maguer, J. F., Allemand, D., & Ferrier-Pages, C. (2003). Nitrate uptake in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata. Limnology and Oceanography, 48(6), 2266–2274. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2003.48.6.2266

Guest, J. R., Dizon, R. M., Edwards, A. J., Franco, C., & Gomez, E. D. (2011). How quickly do fragments of coral “self-attach” after transplantation? Restoration Ecology, 19(2), 234–242. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2009.00562.x

Guzmán, H. M. (1991). Restoration of coral reefs in Pacific Costa Rica. Conservation Biology, 5(2), 189–194. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.1991.tb00123.x

Guzman, H. M., & Cortés, J. (1989). Growth rates of eight species of scleractinian corals in the eastern Pacific (Costa Rica). Bulletin of Marine Science, 44(3), 1186–1194.

Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (1999). Climate change, coral bleaching and the future of the world’s coral reefs. Marine and Freshwater Research, 50(8), 839–866. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF99078

Jiménez, C., & Cortés, J. (2003). Growth of seven species of scleractinian corals in an upwelling environment of the eastern Pacific (Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica). Bulletin of Marine Science, 72(1), 187–198.

Kenkel, C. D., & Matz, M. V. (2016). Gene expression plasticity as a mechanism of coral adaptation to a variable environment. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-016-0014

Kerswell, A. P., & Jones, R. J. (2003). Effects of hypo-osmosis on the coral Stylophora pistillata: nature and cause of low-salinity bleaching. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 253, 145–154. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps253145

Kinzie, R. A., & Sarmiento, T. (1986). Linear extension rate is independent of colony size in the coral Pocillopora damicornis. Coral Reefs, 4(3), 177–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00427939

Kirkwood, T. B. L. (1981). Repair and its evolution: survival versus reproduction. In C. R. Townsend & P. Calow (Eds.), Physiological Ecology: An Evolutionary Approach to Resource Use (pp.165–189). Blackwell Scientific Publications.

Kleypas, J. A., McManus, J. W., & Menez, L. A. (1999). Environmental limits to coral reef development: where do we draw the line? American Zoologist, 39(1), 146–159. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/39.1.146 ·

Kleypas, J., Allemand, D., Anthony, K., Baker, A. C., Beck, M. W., Hale, L. Z., Hilmi, N., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Hughes, T., Kaufman, L., Chayanne, H., Magnan, A. K., Mcleod, E., Mumby, P., Palumbi, S., Richmond, R. H., Rinkevich, B., Steneck, R. S., Voolstra, C. R., … Gattuso, J. P. (2021). Designing a blueprint for coral reef survival. Biological Conservation, 257, 109107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109107

Leal, M. C., Ferrier-Pagès, C., Petersen, D., & Osinga, R. (2016). Coral aquaculture: applying scientific knowledge to ex situ production. Reviews in Aquaculture, 8(2), 136–153. https://doi.org/10.1111/raq.12087

Lee, E. T. (1992). Nonparametric methods of estimating survival functions. In E. T. Lee (Ed.), Statistical Methods for Survival Analysis (pp. 66–130). Wiley.

Levas, S. J., Grottoli, A. G., Hughes, A., Osburn, C. L., & Matsui, Y. (2013). Physiological and biogeochemical traits of bleaching and recovery in the mounding species of coral Porites lobata: implications for resilience in mounding corals. PLoS ONE, 8(5), e63267. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0063267.

Li, Y., Zheng, X., Yang, X., Ou, D., Lin, R., & Liu, X. (2017). Effects of live rock on removal of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in coral aquaria. Acta Oceanologica Sinica, 36(12), 87–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1092-1

Lizcano-Sandoval, L. D., Londoño-Cruz, E., & Zapata, F. A. (2018). Growth and survival of Pocillopora damicornis (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae) coral fragments and their potential for coral reef restoration in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Marine Biology Research, 14(8), 887–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/17451000.2018.1528011

Luna, G. M., Biavasco, F., & Danovaro, R. (2007). Bacteria associated with the rapid tissue necrosis of stony corals. Environmental Microbiology, 9(7), 1851–1857. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01287.x

Manzello, D. P. (2010). Coral growth with thermal stress and ocean acidification: lessons from the eastern tropical Pacific. Coral Reefs, 29(3), 749–758. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-010-0623-4

Matthews, H. D., & Wynes, S. (2022). Current global efforts are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5° C. Science, 376(6600), 1404–1409. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo3378

Méndez-Venegas, M., Jiménez, C., Bassey-Fallas, G., & Cortés, J. (2021). Condición del arrecife coralino de Playa Blanca, Punta Gorda, uno de los arrecifes más extensos de la costa Pacífica de Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical, 69 (Suppl. 2), S194–S207. https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v69iS2.48742

Morera-Rodríguez, R. (2018). Boletín Meteorológico Mensual (ISSN 1654-0465), octubre de 2018. Instituto Meteorológico Nacional & Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones, San José, Costa Rica, 10–46.

Muko, S., & Iwasa, Y. (2011). Long-term effect of coral transplantation: Restoration goals and the choice of species. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 280(1), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2011.04.012

Osinga, R., Schutter, M., Griffioen, B., Wijffels, R. H., Verreth, J. A., Shafir, S., Henard, S., Taruffi, M., Gili, C., & Lavorano, S. (2011). The biology and economics of coral growth. Marine Biotechnology, 13(4), 658–671. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10126-011-9382-7

Page, C. A., Muller, E. M., & Vaughan, D. E. (2018). Microfragmenting for the successful restoration of slow growing massive corals. Ecological Engineering, 123, 86–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2018.08.017

Pillay, R. M., Gian, S. B., Bhoyroo, V., & Curpen, S. (2012). Adapting coral culture to climate change: The Mauritian experience. Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, 10(2), 155–167.

Rinkevich, B. (1995). Restoration strategies for coral reefs damaged by recreational activities: the use of sexual and asexual recruits. Restoration Ecology, 3(4), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.1995.tb00091.x

Rinkevich, B. (2000). Steps towards the evaluation of coral reef restoration by using small branch fragments. Marine Biology, 136(5), 807–812. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002270000293

Rinkevich, B. (2005). Conservation of coral reefs through active restoration measures: Recent approaches and last decade progress. Environmental Science & Technology, 39(12), 4333–4342. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0482583

Salinas-Akhmadeeva, I. A. (2018). Relación entre la talla de colonias coralinas y la diversidad de peces, como guía para la restauración de arrecifes [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Schippers, K. J., Sipkema, D., Osinga, R., Smidt, H., Pomponi, S. A., Martens, D. E., & Wijffels, R. H. (2012). Cultivation of sponges, sponge cells and symbionts: achievements and future prospects. Advances in Marine Biology, 62, 273–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-394283-8.00006-0

Schlöder, C., & D’Croz, L. (2004). Responses of massive and branching coral species to the combined effects of water temperature and nitrate enrichment. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 313(2), 255–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2004.08.012

Shafir, S., Van Rijn, J., & Rinkevich, B. (2001). Nubbing of coral colonies: A novel approach for the development of inland broodstocks. Aquarium Sciences and Conservation, 3(1–3), 183–190. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011364732176

Silva, N., Rojas, N., & Fedele, A. (2009). Water masses in the Humboldt Current System: properties, distribution, and the nitrate deficit as a chemical water mass tracer for Equatorial Subsurface Water off Chile. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 56(16), 1004–1020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.12.013

Tagliafico, A., Rangel, S., Christidis, L., & Kelaher, B. P. (2018). A potential method for improving coral self-attachment. Restoration Ecology, 26(6), 1082–1090. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12698

Tortolero-Langarica, J. A., Rodríguez-Troncoso, A. P., Cupul-Magaña, A. L., Alarcón-Ortega, L. C., & Santiago-Valentín, J. D. (2019). Accelerated recovery of calcium carbonate production in coral reefs using low-tech ecological restoration. Ecological Engineering, 128, 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.01.002

Tortolero-Langarica, J. J., Rodríguez-Troncoso, A. P., Cupul-Magaña, A. L., & Rinkevich, B. (2020). Micro-fragmentation as an effective and applied tool to restore remote reefs in the eastern tropical Pacific. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186574

Yap, H. T. (2004). Differential survival of coral transplants on various substrates under elevated water temperatures. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 49(4), 306–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2004.02.017

Yap, H. T., & Molina, R. A. (2003). Comparison of coral growth and survival under enclosed, semi-natural conditions and in the field. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 46(7), 858–864. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(03)00064-X

Comments

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.