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Survival and Grow Th of Transplanted Coral Fragments in a High-Latitude Coral Community (32 N) in Kochi, Japan

Journal article published in 2010 by K. Miyazaki, Shashank Keshavmurthy ORCID, K. Fukami
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Preprint: policy unknown
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Postprint: policy unknown
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Published version: policy unknown

Abstract

Survival and growth of transplanted fragments of the reef coral species Acropora hyacinthus and Acropora muricata was observed over a period of 3 years from November 1999 to November 2002 in a high-latitude coral community in Shirigai National Marine Park, Otsuki, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. A total of 36 coral fragments (a total area of 4.4 m2) (thirty one A. hyacinthus fragments and five A. muricata fragments) were transplanted into 3 separate blocks at 3-4 m depth with each block consisting of app roximately equal number o f coral fragments in each species. Out of36 coral fragments transplanted, all A. muricata fragments died before the first survey (one year after the transplantation) and only 29 A. hyacinthus fragments survived the initial relocation. The results showed an increase in the coral cover to 48% of the total area form the initial 8.9% in case ofA. hyacinthus. There was a horizontal increase in the coral size resulting in the accretion of the coral skeleton with the neighboring coral fragments. Transplanted fragments grew rapidly (6.9 -15.8 cm) in the warmer (17-25 oC) months compared to the slower growth (0.9-4.8 cm) in the colder (below 17 oC) months. This is the first study that documented the survival and growth oftransplanted coral fragments over time in a high-latitude coral community.