Optimizing initial stocking densities of wild coral spawn slicks for mass production of larvae and settled corals for restoration

Christina Langley; Peter L. Harrison; Christopher Doropoulos

doi:10.1111/rec.14239

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Optimizing initial stocking densities of wild coral spawn slicks for mass production of larvae and settled corals for restoration

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Optimizing initial stocking densities of wild coral spawn slicks for mass production of larvae and settled corals for restoration

Christina Langley, Peter L. Harrison and Christopher Doropoulos

Restoration ecology, Vol.32(7), p.n/a

09/2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.14239

Appears in Recent Faculty of Science and Engineering Publications

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Abstract

coral spawning

density-dependent effects

larval quality

larval supply

mass culturing

reef restoration

Mass culturing coral larvae collected from spawn slicks during spawning events and rearing them directly on reefs is an important method for coral reef restoration as it utilizes high genetic diversity and is readily upscaled. Understanding optimal initial stocking densities in mass cultures is, therefore, central to optimizing larval production efficiency. Yet, no studies have focused on optimizing initial stocking densities while coral embryos are still floating, despite the influence of density‐dependent effects during larval culturing. This study aimed to (1) explore initial stocking densities based on slick coverage and (2) determine the effects of initial densities on embryo development to coral settlement and early post‐settlement survival. Wild coral spawn slicks were collected at Lizard Island and reared at different combinations of slick coverage and density based on tank volume. Immediate density‐dependent effects were observed in treatments with 45% slick coverage, which had lower abundances of embryos 12 hours post‐spawning. The 12‐hour embryo densities ranged from 1.7 to 10.7 mL −1 and continued to display a negative relationship between density and survival of developing larvae. Overall, a density of approximately 5.1 embryos mL ‐1 was the optimal stocking density for larval survival to competency (16.5%). The proportion of settlement and early post‐settlement survival was negatively correlated with higher initial densities, while a positive relationship was observed between the abundance of competent larvae and those settled, including initial settlers and 2‐month‐old recruits. These results highlight the importance of both larval quality and supply, and opportunities for site and system‐specific optimization of larval production in future work.

Details

Title: Optimizing initial stocking densities of wild coral spawn slicks for mass production of larvae and settled corals for restoration
Creators: Christina Langley - Southern Cross University
Peter L. Harrison - Southern Cross University
Christopher Doropoulos - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Publication Details: Restoration ecology, Vol.32(7), p.n/a
Publisher: Restoration Ecology
Grant note: SCU PhD Scholarship Moving Corals Subprogram of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program Australian Government's Reef Trust The Great Barrier Reef Foundation
Identifiers: 991013209889702368
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Restoration Ecology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Ecological Restoration. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License.
Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

Optimizing initial stocking densities of wild coral spawn slicks for mass production of larvae and settled corals for restoration

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