Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences
First Advisor
Robert van Woesik
Second Advisor
Steven Lazarus
Third Advisor
Mark B. Bush
Fourth Advisor
Erinn M. Muller
Abstract
Historically, the reefs of Florida were dominated by two framework-building corals, Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata. However, these two populations have declined by 95% since the 1970s. The predominant contributors to the coral decline have been ocean warming and disease. In response to the decline, restoration organizations were established to improve survival, growth, and reproduction. Yet, there are gaps in current restoration practices and our knowledge of effective restoration techniques. This study uses large datasets to develop models that predict the most optimal locations for coral restoration in Florida and examines the relationships between the occurrence of wild acroporids and environmental variables. The first model identified a high degree of variability in A. cervicornis outplant survival under environmental conditions from 2014 to 2021. The high degree of variability was partly explained by differences in genotypic responses to varying ocean conditions. The second model identified and ranked reefs with the highest likelihood of Acropora cervicornis survival, outplanted from 2012–2018, identifying high and low variability between adjacent reefs in the upper Florida Keys and Biscayne subregions, respectively. The third model demonstrated a critical temperature threshold for both acroporids at 31.8oC, beyond which mortality is highly likely, which was verified in the summer of 2023 when the majority of outplanted acroporid corals died. The results of this study demonstrate that if used appropriately, researchers can effectively apply these decision-support models to close the gap between restoration practices and scientific knowledge, potentially optimizing restoration and management of coral populations in Florida.
Recommended Citation
Banister, Raymond Barry, "Optimization of Coral Restoration Along the Florida Reef Tract" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 1417.
https://repository.fit.edu/etd/1417