Red coral transplants supporting a degraded reef
Restoration is a tricky business. Stress, damage, and unsuitable conditions are among the troubles that have plagued many a restoration project, tipping them into eventual failure.
This isn’t a reason to give up on restoration. After all, we still have a lot to learn, and failures can teach us many valuable lessons. Then there are those restoration projects like the red coral transplantation project in the Medes Islands that, after years, are showing positive results.
Red corals are targeted by poachers for jewellery. About ten years ago, corals seized from such poachers provided an opportunity to see what happens if these corals are transplanted to new areas.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC) planted the corals in the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park. This area didn’t seem to suffer from too much poaching, and climate change didn’t seem to be causing huge problems.
Ten years on, and not only did the corals survive, but they’ve started to rebuild the reef’s structure and attract other species. Whether the transplantation will eventually result in a fully restored, self-sustaining coral reef is still uncertain, but at least the signs so far are positive.
➡️ Read the open-access paper Active restoration of a long-lived octocoral drives rapid functional recovery in a temperate reef
