User:Txtii0820/Coral reef restoration

==== Asexual Coral Reproduction ====

Coral are able to reproduce [[Asexual reproduction|asexually]] when one polyp undergoes [[budding]] to produce another clonal polyp. A technique called micro-fragmentation was developed by Dr. David Vaughan in 2006, which uses the coral's ability to clone itself for coral production.{{Cite news |last=Morin |first=Richard |date=2014-11-23 |title=A Lifesaving Transplant for Coral Reefs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/science/a-lifesaving-transplant-for-coral-reefs.html |access-date=2022-11-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Micro-fragmentation is the process of creating small (>1 cm) pieces of live coral from a parent coral colony.{{cite web |title=Vaughan, D (2021). Active Coral Restoration: techniques for a changing planet |url=https://www.jrosspub.com/science/active-coral-restoration.html}} These pieces are then affixed to a ceramic or cement base called a plug and placed in land nursery tanks.

Massive reef-building coral are the prime species used in this method, because it speeds up their growth rate. Rather than waiting decades for a coral to grow to a robust size, months are needed to see viable specimen.{{Cite journal |last1=Page |first1=Christopher A. |last2=Muller |first2=Erinn M. |last3=Vaughan |first3=David E. |date=2018 |title=Microfragmenting for the successful restoration of slow growing massive corals |journal=Ecological Engineering |volume=123 |pages=86–94 |bibcode=2018EcEng.123...86P |doi=10.1016/j.ecoleng.2018.08.017 |issn=0925-8574 |s2cid=106389447 |doi-access=free}} In a study conducted by Dr. David Vaughan in 2014, the growth of the corals ''Orbicella faveolata'' and ''Montastraea cavernosa'' were documented to be 6.5x and 2x larger respectively over a period of 2.5 years.{{Cite journal |last1=Page |first1=Christopher A. |last2=Muller |first2=Erinn M. |last3=Vaughan |first3=David E. |date=2018-11-01 |title=Microfragmenting for the successful restoration of slow growing massive corals |journal=Ecological Engineering |volume=123 |pages=86–94 |bibcode=2018EcEng.123...86P |doi=10.1016/j.ecoleng.2018.08.017 |issn=0925-8574 |doi-access=free}} This amount of growth would take decades without the use of micro-fragmenting techniques.{{Cite journal |last1=Page |first1=Christopher A. |last2=Muller |first2=Erinn M. |last3=Vaughan |first3=David E. |date=2018-11-01 |title=Microfragmenting for the successful restoration of slow growing massive corals |journal=Ecological Engineering |volume=123 |pages=86–94 |bibcode=2018EcEng.123...86P |doi=10.1016/j.ecoleng.2018.08.017 |issn=0925-8574 |doi-access=free}} This is due to the quick healing response of coral. During micro-fragmentation, wounded edges are created where the colony is severed. These heal quickly by expanding their size radially outward, colonizing their plugs and eventual out-planting sites in the ocean. Fusion of multiple fragments of the same genotype can result in a larger area of coral cover.

==== Sexual Coral Reproduction ====

Coral reproduce [[Sexual reproduction|sexually]] through [[Spawn (biology)|broadcast spawning.]] Coral larvae are formed in the water column through the fertilization of suspended [[gamete]] bundles. In a land-based nursery, control over which specimen reproduce can allow for [[selective breeding]] of more resilient coral.

Availability of coral gametes in the wild is highly dependent on environmental factors. Studies have shown that most spawning happens at the same time of evening, and depends on lunar cycles. Recent work has been attempting to trigger coral spawning in the nursery environment by mimicking these environmental controls.