University of Miami - The Rosenstiel School

PI: Dr. Diego Lirman

Developing Best Practices for Massive Coral Restoration

My Master’s research focused on addressing critical challenges in restoring the massive coral Orbicella faveolata on the Florida Reef Tract. High mortality rates from fish predation (>80%) posed a major bottleneck for restoration efforts. Through experiments, I evaluated strategies to mitigate predation impacts, including the use of physical barriers (cages and spikes), leveraging Acropora cervicornis as a protective refuge, and outplanting larger coral fragments to reduce vulnerability.

Key Findings

• Acropora cervicornis colonies provided effective protection for O. faveolata, reducing predation when fragments were placed adjacent to their structure.
• Physical barriers significantly improved survival, though their benefits diminished once removed.
• Larger coral fragments and genotypic diversity improved resistance to predation, highlighting the importance of size and genetic variation in restoration designs.

These results underscored the need for multi-species restoration strategies and shed light on a significant bottleneck in massive coral restoration in Miami, Florida.