Coral Gardening

This also gives researchers the opportunity to deliberately select coral fragments from reefs that appear to withstand stress better. The fragments can then grow and multiply under optimal conditions. Once the coral fragments reach a certain size, they are transplanted to degraded reef areas. Such engineered reefs can be more diverse and resistant to problems such as climate change or rising ocean temperatures.

There are two gardening scenarios:

Ocean-based nurseries can:
- Provide natural conditions for the corals, e.g. light, temperature, water flow, nutrient balance.
- Reduce the stress of transplantation, as the corals are already acclimated to the ocean environment.
- On the downside:
  - They are vulnerable to storms, predators, diseases, and vandalism.
  - They require regular maintenance and monitoring by divers.

Ocean-based nurseries are well suited for large-scale restoration projects in remote areas.

Land-based nurseries are facilities where coral fragments are grown in tanks or ponds. They can use artificial or natural seawater, and can control environmental many parameters e.g. salinity, pH, nutrients.
- Their advantages are that they:
  - Can protect the corals from external threats, such as pollution, bleaching, and overfishing.
  - Can also enhance the growth and survival of the corals by providing optimal conditions.
- The downsides here:
  - They are costly to build and operate, requiring a lot of energy and water
  - There is a risk of biosecurity and genetic contamination.
  - They require careful acclimation of the corals before transplantation to the ocean
  - The environmental control and entire environment need continuous monitoring by a highly qualified team.

Land-based nurseries are better for small-scale research projects in urban areas.

Here are some active projects:

Indonesia
- Coral Reef Garden (ICRG): This is a national initiative to create coral gardens in several locations in Bali, such as Nusa Dua, Serangan, Sanur, Pandawa Beach, and Buleleng. The project aims to support the economic recovery and ecological resilience of the coastal communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project involves local stakeholders, such as fishermen, divers, and tourism operators, who are trained to build and maintain coral nurseries and transplant corals to degraded reefs.
- Ocean Gardener: This is an NGO based in Bali that offers coral education and restoration courses for divers, scientists, conservationists, and anyone interested in learning about corals. The organization has planted over 50,000 coral fragments in various sites around Bali, such as Amed, Tulamben, Nusa Penida, and Nusa Lembongan. The organization also works with local partners, such as dive shops and resorts, to build coral nurseries and restore reefs in their areas.
- Coral Reef Gardening: This is a volunteer program that allows participants to join a four-week coral restoration course in Lovina, Bali. The course covers various topics e.g. coral biology, identification, gardening, restoration, assessment, and monitoring.
In Fiji, coral gardeners are fishermen trained by biologists who collect small corals that are struggling to grow because they have little space, and bring them to raised platforms that get strong sunlight, nutrients, food and is a good temperature—kind of like a coral greenhouse. After two years, the corals have grown quite big and some pieces of the corals are replanted on the reef, while some are kept in the greenhouse to grow even more. This project has been featured in a film called The Coral Gardener.
In Florida and Puerto Rico, scientists have been studying the restoration of Caribbean staghorn corals (Acropora cervicornis). The results showed that coral gardening methods are very effective in producing healthy corals for transplantation. It was also found that the outplanted corals behaved in the same way as wild colonies in terms of survival and productivity.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, there are many coral restoration projects that use different techniques such as coral nurseries, micro-fragmentation, larval propagation, artificial reefs, and community-based management. These projects have different goals such as enhancing reef resilience, restoring ecosystem services, increasing fish biomass, promoting ecotourism, and empowering local stakeholders.

Coral gardening is not a panacea for saving coral reefs, but it is a promising tool that can complement other conservation and management strategies. It requires careful planning, monitoring, and evaluation to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability. Coral gardening also faces challenges such as funding, logistics, regulations, and environmental risks. However, with the support of scientific research, technological innovation, community participation, and policy intervention, it can make a positive difference for the future of coral reefs and the people who rely on them.