SAFE: Atlantic Acropora Corals ​ ​ 2018-2021 Conservation Action Plan ​ ​ Submitted: 18 September 2018 Revised: 7 June 2019 Approved: 20 August 2019 Program Leader: Bart Shepherd Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences With program partners and advisors. Table of Contents: Background …………………………………………………………………………..……. 3 Program Goal …………………………………………………………………………..……. 3 Program Operational Structure ………………………………………………..…….…….. 5 Conservation Target …………………………………………………………..……....……. 6 Status Of Taxa Within The AZA Community ……………………………...……………… 7 AZA Conservation Activities ……………………………………………...……………… 7 AZA Public Engagement Activities ………………………………………...……………. 11 Conservation Status Of Taxa ……………………………………………………....………. 12 Recovery Plan ………………………………………………………....……………...…….. 12 Threats ………………………………………………………....…………………...………... 13 SAFE Program Work Plan ………………………………………………………....………. 14 Funding Contributions to Date ...……………………………………....…………………… 15 Funding Objectives ………………………………………………………………………….. 17 Action Opportunities for AZA-Accredited Zoos and Aquariums ……………………….... 17 Program Summary Table ……………………………………………………………………. 19 References ………………………………………………………....………………………… 28 2 Background The two species of Atlantic Acropora corals, along with their naturally-occurring hybrid, were ​ ​ once keystone species and primary reef-builders in the tropical western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions. Healthy populations of these corals provide a myriad of ecosystem services and benefits to local people, including protection from storms and wave surge, habitat for important fishery species, ecotourism (diving, snorkeling), and more. During the 1970’s and 1980’s populations of both A. cervicornis and A. palmata underwent precipitous declines in abundance (National Marine ​ ​ ​ Fisheries Service, 2015). This significant decline, documented to be as high as 97% across large sections of the Caribbean and Florida, greatly reduced these species’ ability to successfully reproduce through both of their natural reproductive strategies: sexual (broadcast spawning) and asexual (fragmentation). Based on current scientific understanding, the primary cause of this decline is attributed to disease, especially White Band Disease (WBD). However, synergistic effects from multiple threats (local, regional, and global) are impacting extant populations and impeding natural recovery. AZA member institutions have been directly engaged in field conservation and conservation-related education of these species and their habitat for many years. In March 2018, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Disney’s The Seas, The Florida Aquarium, Mote Marine Laboratory, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, John G. Shedd Aquarium, and Steinhart Aquarium proposed Atlantic Acropora corals as a SAFE program. This conservation action plan was approved in ​ ​ August 2019. Program Goal The long-term vision of the SAFE: Atlantic Acropora corals program is increased abundance ​ ​ and genetic diversity of wild populations of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and staghorn coral ​ ​ (Acropora cervicornis), that these species remain extant throughout their native range, experience ​ ​ successful reproduction and recruitment, and provide valuable ecosystem services and benefits. The 3-year program goal supporting this vision includes a combination of conservation and restoration activities: (1) developing at least four capacity-building restoration centers in the region; (2) accelerating production and outplanting of both asexually and sexually-propagated corals; (3) increasing capacity of in situ and ex situ nurseries; (4) expanding partnerships with non-traditional ​ ​ ​ ​ collaborators to support restoration; (5) increase capacity for scientific research on topics supporting restoration through expanded partnerships and integration of AZA members into existing conservation networks; and (6) engaging our audiences on the threats facing these species and actions that they can take to reduce these threats. While the priority for the SAFE program will be on A. cervicornis and ​ ​ A. palmata, the project also includes research with their naturally-occurring F1 hybrid (A. prolifera). ​ ​ ​ We aim to increase the number of AZA-accredited member institutions directly participating in and contributing to the conservation of Atlantic Acropora corals (see Action Opportunities Summary ​ ​ List), and increase awareness of the global coral reef crisis and impacts to Atlantic Acropora species ​ ​ through our collective education, outreach and public engagement activities. Through these conservation and educational programs, AZA-accredited member institutions and project partners will 3 create a measurable positive impact on these populations and public awareness of their status, their importance, and their place in the global coral reef crisis. The following work plan was developed by a steering committee consisting of leaders from seven AZA member institutions (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Disney’s The Seas, Florida Aquarium, Mote Marine Laboratory, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, and Steinhart Aquarium), along with project partners, external advisors and the Aquatic Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group. This plan supports the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Recovery Plan for Elkhorn ​ (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (A. cervicornis) Corals, prepared by the Acropora Recovery Team ​ for the National Marine Fisheries Service in March 2015. The SAFE Atlantic Acropora Corals program invites and welcomes all interested AZA zoos ​ ​ and aquariums to become program partners, funders and collaborators. 4 Program Operational Structure Program Leadership: Bart Shepherd Senior Director, Steinhart Aquarium [email protected] California Academy of Sciences (415) 379-5445 Program Partners - Steering Committee: Mitch Carl Curator of Aquatics, [email protected] Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (402) 738-6933 Erinn Muller Science Director, International Center for Coral [email protected] Reef Research and Restoration, (941) 388-4441 x310 Mote Marine Laboratory Keri O’Neil Coral Nursery Manager, [email protected] The Florida Aquarium (813) 425-1679 Mark Schick Director, Fishes Department, [email protected] Shedd Aquarium (312) 692-3189 M. Andrew Stamper Science Operations Manager/Clinical [email protected] Veterinarian, Disney’s Animals, Science and (407) 560-5576 Environment Becky Ellsworth Curator, Shores Department [email protected] Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (614) 724-3436 Program Advisors: Mike Brittsan Director of Aquatic Sciences (retired), [email protected] Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (614) 724-3580 Margaret Miller Research Director, SECORE International. [email protected] Team Lead, NOAA’s Acropora Recovery (614) 973-3559 Implementation Team Tom Moore Coral Reef Restoration Team Lead, [email protected] NOAA Restoration Center (727) 647-6538 Craig Dahlgren Executive Director, [email protected] Perry Institute for Marine Science (561) 741-0192 x231 Mary Hagedorn Senior Research Scientist, [email protected] Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (808) 520-1368 Linda Penfold Director, South-East Zoo Alliance for [email protected] Reproduction and Conservation (SEZARC) (904) 556-1675 Amelia Moura Science Director, [email protected] Coral Restoration Foundation (786) 780-2658 5 Conservation Target The targets of the AZA SAFE program for Atlantic Acropora Corals are elkhorn coral (A. palmata) and ​ ​ ​ ​ staghorn coral (A. cervicornis). While these species are the priority, some of the program goals also ​ ​ include working with their naturally-occurring F1 hybrid (A. prolifera). ​ ​ Kingdom Animalia Phylum Cnidaria Class Anthozoa Order Scleractinia Family Acroporidae Genus species Acropora cervicornis ​ Acropora palmata Acropora prolifera Acropora cervicornis, “staghorn coral” Acropora palmata, “elkhorn coral” ​ ​ 6 Status of Taxa at AZA Member Institutions AZA Conservation Activities: Only a very few AZA member organizations manage populations of Atlantic Acropora corals ​ ​ within their facilities (Table 1). This is partly due to the difficulty of obtaining specimens, given the multiple levels of protection (state, federal, international), compounded by the difficulty of successfully managing aquarium populations in the long-term. Table 1: Number of AZA member organizations currently housing Atlantic Acropora corals. ​ ​ ​ Species Number of Organizations A. cervicornis 7 A. palmata 5 A. prolifera 0 Although the number of AZA member institutions managing Atlantic Acropora corals in their ​ ​ facilities is quite low, many members have been actively engaged in field conservation and research activities with these species, sometimes for more than a decade. Numerous AZA member institutions and their partners have been conducting restoration of Atlantic Acropora corals by outplanting corals ​ ​ to repopulate reefs in southern Florida and the greater Caribbean region. These generally occur via two modes: (1) asexual propagation, nursery management, and outplanting through partnership with the Coral Restoration Foundation in Florida, and (2) gamete collection, fertilization, settlement and outplanting of sexually-derived coral recruits at several locations in the Caribbean region in partnership with SECORE (SExual COral REproduction) International. The SECORE approach, where gametes are collected from wild corals and cross-fertilized in the lab, results in genetically-unique individuals that can be