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Successful methods for transplanting fragments of Acropora formosa and Acropora hyacinthus

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Abstract

In order to establish a successful method for the transplantation of branching and tabular coral fragments, we tested the effects of orientations of attachment, seasons of transplantation, and size of fragments on survival, growth, and spawning using Acropora formosa and A. hyacinthus. Vertically attached, large-sized fragments of A. formosa showed 98–100% survival rate after 18 months. The fragments transplanted in August exhibited better survival than those transplanted in November. The larger fragments had the higher percentage of spawning. The fragments that spawned had lower growth rate, while those resorbed the oocytes carried at the time of transplantation showed higher growth rate, suggesting the trade-off between growth and reproduction. Half of the fragments spawned 1 month earlier than the donor colonies. Only the vertically attached fragments of A. hyacinthus fused to the substratum, and those transplanted in February showed 100% survival rate after 14 months, indicating that this species is well suited for transplantation.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to K. Shimoike and the staff members of the Akajima Marine Science Laboratory for their kind help during the fieldwork, and to S. Hosaka for his continuous support and encouragements. We thank J.R. Strickler for valuable comments and support to our manuscript; B.G. Hatcher and two anonymous reviewers for editing and for helpful comments, M. Hatta and T. Kokita for providing many useful suggestions; M. Omori for valuable advice and comments as our supervisor.

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  1. Nami Okubo

    Present address: The Research Institute of the Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8610, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan

    Nami Okubo & Tatsuo Motokawa

  2. Akajima Marine Science Laboratory, 179 Aka, Zamami-son, Okinawa, 901-3311, Japan

    Hiroki Taniguchi

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  1. Nami Okubo
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  2. Hiroki Taniguchi
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  3. Tatsuo Motokawa
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Correspondence to Nami Okubo.

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Communicated by Environmental Editor B.G. Hatcher

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Okubo, N., Taniguchi, H. & Motokawa, T. Successful methods for transplanting fragments of Acropora formosa and Acropora hyacinthus. Coral Reefs 24, 333–342 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-005-0496-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-005-0496-0

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