Kemit-Amon Lewis The Nature Conservancy Nursery Program Overview

Nursery Depth 6m – 12m Site Protected (Inside the , Inside or adjacent etc.) to Floating structures (Yes/No) Yes Fixed structures (Yes/No) Yes Species in nursery AP, AC, other stony Nursery siting and design

- Loss of nursery table structures were the biggest impact to our nurseries along with the loss of a few trees with old anchors

- I don’t think that nursery siting could have prevented damage

- Coral tree structures fared better than coral tables

- No specific actions occurred prior to the storm Out-plant Program Overview

Out-planting Depth(s) 3m – 13m Sites protected (Inside the reef, etc.) Both Methods used (nails, epoxy, cement, etc.) epoxy Age(s) of out-plants 1-5 years Species used AP, AC Outplant siting and design

- AP – Breakage at the base, colonies all missing or fragmented

- AC – Rubble piles on shallower sites (~9m)

- Deeper AC out-plants (~13m) were not as impacted as the shallower sites

- Similar impacts were noticed on the natural reefs except for larger AP colonies, which looked in tact and healthy

- All out-plants were impacted similarly regardless of age. Species differences

While we didn’t notice impacts to other non acroporid corals in our nurseries (few rescued fragments from vessel groundings), impacts to different species in small size classes were noticed on shallow reefs. Lessons learned

1. Our coral tables need anchors 2. Maintain nursery structures every 3-5 years 3. Nurseries should be storm proof from installation 4. AC out-planted at deeper sites were less impacted 5. Respond asap post hurricane to at least document damage (because you never know when another cat 5 hurricane is two weeks away). A message on connectivity

One of our St. Thomas coral tree structures traveled to the Bahamas. The coral tree may have been encouraged to leave the US Virgin Islands during Hurricane Irma or Hurricane Maria (as many other people did) and was found off Farmer’s in Exuma Sound.

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Aqualia Foundation Nursery Program Overview

Little Thatch Island

• 28 ft • A. cervicornis • Exposed to • 26-29 ft swell • A. cervicornis • A. palmata (pucks) • Sheltered / strong current Mountain Trunk Bay Nursery siting and design

• 185+mph winds • 25ft storm surge • 45ft waves

Trees lowered prior to the storm Both nurseries…GONE!!!! Little Thatch Island Mountain Trunk Bay • • Best location Swells resulted in • Strong current arms breaking off prior to storms • New location Outplant Program Overview

Smuggler’s Cove, Tortola

DEPTH: 12-20 ft LOCATION: Behind the crest / Proposed marine protected area METHODS: Zip ties AGE: 68 / 46 Days SPECIES: A. cervicornis Outplant siting and design

• IMPACTS: Sand movement/burial; mechanical damage; coastal vegetation; red algal bloom (3-4 weeks post hurricanes)

• LOCATION: Still a good spot for restoration!!! Lessons learned 1. Design modifications (reinforced arms; detachable from anchor ?) 2. Relocate Mountain Trunk Bay Nursery to a more protected location 3. Identify research ?’s & potential partners prior to storms 4. Outplant further from shore 5. Don’t give up!! Sean Griffin & Michael Nemeth NOAA Restoration Center Nursery Program Overview

Nursery SW PR N PR NE PR Culebra St. Thomas Depth 2 – 15 m 3 m 3 – 15 m 3 – 5 m 3 – 5 m

Exposure Variable Behind Reef Variable Variable Variable Floating Trees & None Trees & Trees Trees Structures FUCAs FUCAs

Fixed BUCAs BUCA None Various (Tables, Blocks* Structures A-Frames, etc.)*

Species in & Acropora Acropora & Acropora & Acropora & nursery Dendrogyra palmata Dendrogyra Dendrogyra Dendrogyra

Reef Moderate Severe Severe Severe Severe Impacts

Nursery Minor Minor Minor Severe Minor to Impacts Severe

* All of the structures lost. St Thomas Nurseries • 100% of the Blocks buried by over 20cm of sand • Minor impacts to Trees that had Acropora and Dendrogyra • Some debris, broken branches, and lost trees • One tree made it all the way to the Bahamas!! • So many options…… Shacks, Isabella, Northwest Puerto Rico • 35’ swells off north coast of PR. • BUCA was placed in 3m depth behind reef to avoid direct impact from breaking waves. • Rebar was driven into sand until rebar penetrated limestone • Lost 20-40 cm of sand from under the BUCA during Irma • Still stable Shack’s Nursery Post-Irma Nursery siting and design (Structures)

- Were there certain structures that fared better than others? - Floating nurseries (Trees and FUCAs) survived well - Out of all the different benthic structures, only the BUCAs survived. - Common Failure Points - Pre-drilled fiberglass rods did not break as much as PVC branches - ¼” Parachute cord performed better than other lines - Elbow joints on FUCAs were replaced with bolts - We had been replacing steel cables on anchors with monofilament but that did not seem to work as well. - Steel cables have about a 5 year life span. Require maintenance and replacement. Outplant Program Overview (Species Differences) - Acropora palmata and Dendrogyra cylindrus outplants survived very well. - Acropora cervicornis outplants were the most impacted. - Impacts varied by exposure and depth. Outplant siting and design (Impacts)

- Impacts to outplants were site dependent - Sand movement/burial/blasting (site dependent) - Loss of corals (mainly Acropora cervicornis) - Fragmentation (mainly Acropora cervicornis)

- Severe impacts to reefs observed in Northern and Eastern PR, Culebra, Vieques and St. Thomas - Dendrogyra colonies broken and knocked over - A. palmata: fragmentation especially on larger colonies - A. cervicornis: Severe damage in shallow, exposed areas; - Deeper areas fared better

Outplant siting and design (Materials) - Cement worked best with Acropora palmata outplants - Uber stable - igher rates of fusion, live tissue and survival - We previously outplanted Dendorgya cylindrus using epoxy. - Dendrogyra outplants that were knocked over probably would have resisted wave action better like A. palmata - Likely switching to cement to increase stability to withstand storms Lessons learned More Acropora palmata Don’t hide from the storm Create a living barrier

1. Nursery structure design 1. Floating structures (Trees and FUCAs) survived well 2. BUCAs survived better than the other fixed structures. Should be anchored into hard bottom. 3. Use predrilled fiberglass rods for branches over PVC 4. Make FUCAs with bolts not elbows 2. Nursery and/or outplant siting 1. Depth helps, but can limit outplant options 2. Place shallow nursery structures behind or on the reefs so the waves break offshore 3. What species to work with? (Depends on the site being restored) 1. More Acropora palmata, Dendrogyra and other species Lessons Learned (Continued) 1. Storm prep ideas 1. Have smaller colonies in nursery during hurricane season to minimize fragmentation and drag; but this also affects outplanting logistics 2. What to do after a storm to avoid further damage 1. Check on status as soon as possible and be prepared for repairs/triage 1. Normally a lower priority after a storm 2. Logistics are challenging (gas, comms, electricity, compressors, debris, transportation, etc.) 3. Turbidity after storms will also limit response efforts 3. Storms provide so many options for coral restoration. 1. We can’t grow the number of at-risk corals that are available after storms like this. It would take too long and too much $. 2. Reattach in-situ, transplant directly to other reefs that need attention, and/or bring frags into nursery Acknowledgements • Sea Ventures • HJR Reefscaping • PR DNER & VI DPNR • Sociedad Ambiente Marino • UPR & UVI • VIDAs • TNC STX Puerto Rico se Levanta VI Strong Name: Kerry Maxwell Affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

Florida Keys

Florida Bay

Middle Keys Nursery Program Overview Nursery Marathon Long Key Depth 25 27 Site Protected (Inside the reef, etc…)? Yes Not really Floating Structures (Yes/ No) Yes-trees Yes-trees Fixed Structures (Yes/No) Yes-blocks and Yes-modules modules Species in nursery ACER, MCAV, ACER OFAV, PCLI *

*We also have some loose “corals of opportunity” that we rescued after Hurricane Irma. They are not fragmented yet. Species include: CNAT, DSTO, PLAB, PCLI, PSTR, PPOR, and SSID. module module block Nursery siting and design

Main impacts: Sand movement and Column burial of blocks and modules, and loss block anchor of structures due to wave action and debris movement Siting issues: Long Key nursery was not very well protected from storms Differences in structures: Trees on earth anchors fared better than trees on column block anchors Common failure points: Block anchors at Long Key did not hold, but some screw anchors with buoys and temperature loggers held Nursery prep: We did some fragmenting during the summer and smaller fragments fared better than larger fragments Close-up of surviving A. cervicornis coral colony in Marathon nursery

A relatively intact A. cervicornis tree with 20+ corals and a heavily damaged tree with one branch remaining- both in Marathon nursery Left-boulder coral module with nine out of ten colonies buried under sand in Marathon nursery. Right- the same module with the sand removed. Excavated boulder coral module with all dead colonies in Marathon nursery

Boulder coral module with ten healthy corals in Marathon nursery

Fully excavated boulder coral module with entangled trap debris in Marathon nursery Outplant Program Overview Outplanting Depth(s) 15-35 Sites Protected (Inside the reef, etc…)? Mostly on the reef tract, some patch reefs Methods used (nails, epoxy, cement, etc…) Mostly epoxy, some nails Age(s) of outplants 2-5 years Species used ACER Outplant siting and design

Main impacts: The main impact was loss of corals, especially on the linear reef tract. There was less outplant loss at mid-channel patch reefs. Comparison with natural colonies: The natural A. cervicornis was similarly impacted, but natural boulder species fared better. Siting issues: Hurricane impacts may have been reduced if we outplanted to patch reefs that were more protected. Outplant methods: No obvious differences in outplant methods but colonies that fragmented from outplants and rewedged themselves remained attached. Also, corals outplanted to areas with more CCA were more securely anchored to the reef than corals outplanted to areas with turf algae Old vs. new outplants: No differences in when the coral was outplanted, instead survival was more site-specific. Species differences

- The boulder corals had less mortality than A. cervicornis. Among boulder coral species, fate was mostly tied to whether they were buried or not. - Most A. cervicornis was on trees, and most boulder corals were on modules. - Natural colonies of boulder corals survived at higher rates than did natural colonies of A. cervicornis. - No boulder corals have yet been outplanted for comparison to A. cervicornis outplants Lessons learned

1. When choosing a location, look for very fine grain sand 2. Try to choose a location that is protected from offshore wave action and far enough from nearshore stresses 3. Try to put nurseries in multiple locations to maximize survival against a variety of stresses and use different types of structures within the nursery 4. Use a variety of genotypes and a variety of species 5. Fragment colonies before hurricane season Presenter: Jessica Levy Nursery Program Overview

Tavernier Nursery Elbow Key West Nursery Carysfort Nursery Nursery Depth 30ft 30ft 30ft 30ft

Site Protected No Yes No Yes Elbow Reef Carysfort Reef Floating Structures Yes Yes Yes Yes (Y/N) Fixed Structures Yes No Yes No (Y/N) Species in nursery A. cervicornis A. cervicornis A. cervicornis A. cervicornis A. palmata A. palmata A. palmata A. palmata O. favelota O. annularious M. cavernosa M. complanata D. cylindrus Occulina diffusa S. Sidera Porites porites P. astreoides Impacts Observed within Nurseries

Impacts observed: • Sand movement/shift, burial - Small changes to nursery depth in • Loss of coral stock some areas • Some loss of structures - Burial of structures up to ~12in • Sand blasting - Accumulation of sponges and other • Debris entanglements biotic debris decaying on site - Fine silt/sand leading to white out conditions on days post-Irma Impacts Observed within Nurseries

Impacts observed: • Sand movement/shift, burial - Staghorn loss > Elkhorn loss • Loss of coral stock - Difference attributed to size of • Some loss of structures corals and monofilament • Sand blasting - Within staghorn corals, no • Debris entanglements noticeable difference based on size of coral colony Impacts Observed within Nurseries

Impacts observed: • Sand movement/shift, burial - Common fail points on the trees • Loss of coral stock included tether line and individual • Some loss of structures tree branches • Sand blasting - Majority duckbills stayed intact • Debris entanglements - Cement blocks thrown/buried Impacts Observed within Nurseries

Impacts observed: • Sand movement/shift, burial • Loss of coral stock • Some loss of structures • Sand blasting - Abrasion and breakage • Debris entanglements - Disease onset from sand blast Impacts Observed within Nurseries

Impacts observed: • Sand movement/shift, burial • Loss of coral stock • Some loss of structures - Traps and line • Sand blasting - Bags and miscellaneous trash • Debris entanglements - Sources from within the nursery Nursery Overview

Pre-Irma prep work within the Tavernier nursery: • Changing tree lines and pulling down the trees. • Securing blocks by placing a rebar through the center. • Removing unused structures Only was able to visit Tavernier nursery, ideally would like to have been able to get to all nurseries but time did not allow. Overall results post Irma:

Nursery Site/Area ~# Pre Irma ~# Post Irma % stock remaining

Tavernier-ACER 4,315 1,584 37% Tavernier- APAL 5,050 4,204 83% Elbow Nursery 539 166 31% Carysfort Nursery 3,383 2,254 67%

* These are the main nurseries and areas affect, but there were damages and impacts within other locations Outplant Program Overview

Outplanting

Depth(s) Average 5-20ft deep

Sites Protected Both inshore patch reefs and off shore, fore reef areas.

Methods used Epoxy Outplant age Various (+1month to +3yrs) Species used A. cervicornis A. palmata Outplant Sites and Design

Impacts in order of severity: - Many corals completely missing at • Loss of coral outplants restoration sites. • Sand blasting and abrasion - Includes old and new outplants • Breakage - Majority staghorn • Sand movement and burial - Both natural and outplanted corals • Minimal damage from debris entanglements- Loss of identifying information

- Many corals showed signs of sand abrasion - Includes old and new outplants - Mostly elkhorn (remained) - Both natural and outplanted corals

Pickles Reef: Post Irma (Left) and pre Irma (Right-June ’17)

*Other common sights included overturned coral heads, broken ledges, derelict traps/line, exposed historic reef, and areas stripped of sponges, gorgonians, algae etc.

Lessons Learned

Prep work: leading up to Hurricane season, take steps to proactively secure nursery environment • Change lines, secure blocks, and remove unused structures

Redundancy is key at multiple levels • At outplant sites- have multiple ways to identify clusters (coral tag and cow tag) • Nurseries as a tool to protect genetic diversity by creating multiple pockets to store corals and ensure lasting diversity

Have a reaction plan in place for after storm events to be able to ensure future restoration efforts are still able to take place.

It’s a “numbers game” Reef Restoration Program: University of Miami / RSMAS

Diego Lirman, Dalton Hesley, Stephanie Schopmeyer (FWC)

Miami

Key Biscayne

Biscayne Bay

Key Largo UM Nursery Program Overview

3 Nurseries Depth 6-8 m Site Protected (Inside the reef, etc…)? On sand, behind reefs Floating Structures (Yes/ No) PVC trees Fixed Structures (Yes/No) Cinder blocks Species in nursery Acer, Apal, Ofav, Pcli Nursery: Irma Impacts

- Nursery impacts were severe overall but spatially variable

- Cinder blocks at the southernmost nursery showed relatively minor impacts, mainly breakage and sand blasting, NO BURIAL

- The tree nurseries had > 50% trees lost

- The MB nursery lost all 10 trees (trees were found washed ashore with anchors still attached)

- The Key Biscayne nursery suffered both tree losses and damage to remaining trees Nursery: Irma Impacts

- Corals on trees were fragmented and/or sand blasted

- Remaining trees and corals were covered by drift algae

- Lobster trap debris observed at the KB nursery

- MB nursery site covered with 2 feet of soft sediments

- Sediments at the KB site showed signs of movement (anchors exposed on some trees, tree lines buried on others) UM Outplant Program Overview

Outplanting Depth(s) 3-8 m Sites Protected (Inside the reef, etc…)? Inshore-offshore Methods used (nails, epoxy, cement, etc…) Nail, ties, epoxy Age(s) of outplants Small-large Species used Acer, Apal, Pcli Outplants: Irma Impacts - ALL outplanted sites had severe-complete damage

- 10 sites visited post-Irma, max. survival < 15%

- Coral removal, burial, fragmentation, and/or sand blasting observed

- Remaining staghorn corals pruned severely

- Some signs of disease observed on surviving corals (rapid waste) Outplants: Irma Impacts

- All sizes and ages were impacted

- Wild and outplants impacted equally

- One small thicket in the Miami Area (10 m across) was completely removed from reef

- Damage was less severe between Triumph and Pacific Reefs but still significant throughout

- Heavy sedimentation and sediment accumulation on most reefs Lessons Learned

- If you were setting up a nursery and outplanting program today, what would you do differently?

1. Deeper anchors for trees 2. Secondary attachments (tying trees together using weights) 3. Collect small clippings from every genet and bring into ex situ repository site to preserve genotypes 4. Try to get lobster traps removed from area