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Density-dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration

Publication ,  Journal Article
Griffin, JN; Schrack, EC; Lewis, KA; Baums, IB; Soomdat, N; Silliman, BR
Published in: Restoration Ecology
May 1, 2015

Coral reef restoration aims to help threatened coral ecosystems recover from recent severe declines. Here we address whether coral fragments should be out-planted individually or in larger aggregations. Theory suggests alternative possible outcomes: whereas out-plants within aggregations might suffer from heightened negative interactions with neighbors (e.g. competition for space), they may alternatively benefit from positive interactions with neighbors (e.g. buffering wave disturbances). On a degraded reef in the Caribbean (St. Croix, USVI), using out-plants of the critically endangered staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis, we experimentally tested how aggregation density (1-20 out-planted coral fragments spaced at approximately 5 cm) influenced initial coral growth (over 3 months). Coral growth declined as a function of aggregation size, and out-plants within larger aggregations had fewer and shorter secondary branches on average, indicative of horizontal competition for space. Our results therefore suggest that wide spacing of individuals will maximize the initial growth of out-planted branching corals.

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Published In

Restoration Ecology

DOI

EISSN

1526-100X

ISSN

1061-2971

Publication Date

May 1, 2015

Volume

23

Issue

3

Start / End Page

197 / 200

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences
 

Citation

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Griffin, J. N., Schrack, E. C., Lewis, K. A., Baums, I. B., Soomdat, N., & Silliman, B. R. (2015). Density-dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration. Restoration Ecology, 23(3), 197–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12173
Griffin, J. N., E. C. Schrack, K. A. Lewis, I. B. Baums, N. Soomdat, and B. R. Silliman. “Density-dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration.” Restoration Ecology 23, no. 3 (May 1, 2015): 197–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.12173.
Griffin JN, Schrack EC, Lewis KA, Baums IB, Soomdat N, Silliman BR. Density-dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration. Restoration Ecology. 2015 May 1;23(3):197–200.
Griffin, J. N., et al. “Density-dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration.” Restoration Ecology, vol. 23, no. 3, May 2015, pp. 197–200. Scopus, doi:10.1111/rec.12173.
Griffin JN, Schrack EC, Lewis KA, Baums IB, Soomdat N, Silliman BR. Density-dependent effects on initial growth of a branching coral under restoration. Restoration Ecology. 2015 May 1;23(3):197–200.
Journal cover image

Published In

Restoration Ecology

DOI

EISSN

1526-100X

ISSN

1061-2971

Publication Date

May 1, 2015

Volume

23

Issue

3

Start / End Page

197 / 200

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
  • 41 Environmental sciences
  • 31 Biological sciences
  • 06 Biological Sciences
  • 05 Environmental Sciences