Restoring the seagrass-coral reef continuum habitats across heavily hurricane-impacted coastal areas in Culebra Island, Puerto Rico
Restaurando la continuidad entre pastos marinos y arrecifes de coral en áreas costeras fuertemente impactadas por huracanes en Isla Culebra, Puerto Rico
More than two years after Category 5, Hurricanes Irma and María ravaged the coastal ecosystems across the northeastern coasts of Puerto Rico, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows have yet to be fully recovered. The current degraded state of these ecosystems put at risk not only the ecological functions and services that these ecosystems provide but also has a damaging effect on the fauna that depends on the seagrass-coral reef continuum to complete their life cycle. Indeed, these ecosystems are considered essential habitat for multiple species of ecological and commercial importance. This project will restore one acre of coral reefs and seagrasses at two localities in the Island Municipality of Culebra, Puerto Rico, that were severely damaged by the impacts of storm-generated waves. The two sites are part of the NOAA's Habitat Blueprint Focus Area. They have also been designated by Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) as an area of coral reef conservation priority. Coral reefs restoration will be focused on the outplanting 21,000 colonies of the morphologically complex and rapidly growing species, Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata. These ESA-listed species are essential reef builder corals due to their role in increasing reef complexity and in providing habitat for many reef-dwelling species. Seagrass restoration will be focused on planting the native species Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme; species that have been declining in the last couple of years in many areas across Culebra, including the sites to be restored. A total of 4,128 seagrass planting units will be outplanted within denuded areas to increase the area covered by native species. The project will have a duration of three years. It will consist of three primary activities: 1) propagating coral and seagrasses in in-situ nurseries, 2) outplanting of coral and seagrass to the affected areas, and 3) adaptive restoration using population models. Each activity is associated with distinct methodologies and outcomes (see description below); however, as a collective, all the activities of the multi-method restoration approach will contribute to the resilience, conservation, and community goals established by NOAA. Propagation and outplanting activities will be equally partitioned in time to ensure the completion of the project on time.