Coral Growth at High-value Sites on Great Barrier Reef

According to a study, the first multi-taxa coral nurseries established on the Great Barrier Reef in 2018 have demonstrated promising results for reef restoration. Coral fragments were grown in two locations with varying environmental exposure, Blue Lagoon and RayBan. While growth rates varied across species, they were generally higher at Blue Lagoon, with Acropora tenuis and Acropora hyacinthus showing increased growth during the warm season. Survivorship was approximately 80-100% for the 2,536 fragments studied, differing for some species based on location. A success metric, return-on-effort (RRE) scores showed growth as the main driver within sites and survivorship between spots. The study concludes that such nurseries could supplement natural coral for high-value tourism sites on the reef. However, further research is required on the effectiveness of outplanting nursery-grown corals.