Coral Propagation – Monthly Progress
At Landaa during August, we transplanted 28 coral frames, kindly sponsored by guests (eight), online (two), and the Resort (18), adding a total of 1400 coral fragments to the reef. In addition, we monitored (cleaned, repaired, photographed) a total of 575 coral frames at various sites around the island.
We are continuing our large-scale recycling and maintenance work, lifting buried frames from the seasonally shifting sand, and recycling any fragments on degraded frames. This month, we raised 206 partially buried frames along the Coral Trail, Anchor Point, and Blue Hole sites, and added 1445 new fragments where necessary. Work has also restarted on one of our longer-term Reefscapers goals, restoring the Blue Hole site, lifting any partially buried frames, replacing tags and frags, and re-mapping.
At Kuda Huraa this month, we transplanted 18 new frames, kindly sponsored by guests (12), online (one), and the Resort (five). We monitored and repaired 226 frames around the island, and re-mapped the frames along the Shallow House Reef and Reef Crest sites using Garmin GPS. We have also been relocating Montipora digitata colonies at the Water Villas (to reduce competition and stress) and retransplanting any heavily stressed frames following the recent periods of coral bleaching and subsequent predation.
Over the last few weeks, our team has been working to control a disease outbreak at our Pyramids site. It appears to be white syndrome disease (WSD) presenting on some corals, with some colonies of A. millepora suffering from a different condition (patchier progression, and not banded). Any remaining healthy colonies of A. millepora have been quarantined under close observation.
Reefscapers Coral Experiments
At Landaa, we continue to work on our latest coral micro-fragmentation project plus our ongoing research into methods of attaching coral fragments onto our Reefscapers frames.
suspected white syndrome disease at the coral pyramids, Kuda Huraa
coral maintenance work at the Water Villas site
Coral Recruitment Survey
This month, we have been assessing how coral recruitment varies with depth, and we surveyed various sites around Baa Atoll (Kamadhoo, Madhirivaadhoo, Undoodhoo, Kudarikilu, Landaa Sandbank, Voavah Sandbank, Parrot Reef, Kendhoo, Funadhoo).
We used 20 quadrat (0.5×0.5m) samples at depths of 5m and 10m, and tallied up the number and genus of coral recruits. Overall, a total of 489 quadrats were sampled across the different sites, and we have started to analyse the results.
Using a quadrat to perform transects, in our survey to assess natural coral recruitment on various reefs