Baja California Sur
Photo descriptions
Brief description
The Reef Systems Laboratory of the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS) has been in charge of conducting research regarding coral restoration in the Gulf of California for just over 4 years. By supporting the development of multiple undergraduate and graduate theses, it has managed to generate invaluable information to understand the behavior of the reef ecosystems in the region and understand the best way in which to undertake coral restoration and management projects. Currently, the aim is to generate hard bases to carry out coral restoration in the best way, thus achieving successful projects that last over time. The UABCS has worked numerous times with the National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), since most of the sites where restoration projects are carried out are located in National Parks or protected natural areas.
Given the special conditions that exist in the Mexican Pacific and especially in the Gulf of California, the restoration carried out here does not require the transfer of the fragments, this means that the transplanted corals do not spend time in nurseries, but they are restored the fragments of opportunity directly with the techniques of nylon ties and / or epoxy resin. The laboratory has found the ideal methods that work for the restored sites, however, there is still a lot of research to be done and methods to try, given that for each site there are geographical and environmental characteristics that make each restoration project unique.
In the laboratory, models are being generated that indicate the need for reef ecosystems to continue to be managed once their restoration has been carried out. These preliminary models suggest that after restoration is carried out, it should be restored every 4 years approximately to increase resilience. of the restored corals.
One of the biggest goals within the laboratory is to understand the functioning of the reef when carrying out a restoration and to understand more specifically the interactions between the coral colony and the rest of the organisms that inhabit the reef. Understanding this in greater detail will allow the restoration to be carried out in a more informed, more prepared way and integrating the ecological needs of the system.
Where we work
The UABCS began its experimental restoration projects at the Roca Swany site, south of Isla Espíritu Santo in Baja California Sur. Later, restoration sites began to expand to other sides of La Paz Bay and the Gulf of California.
Baja California Sur:
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Bahía El Corralito, Isla Espíritu Santo (N 24°26’31’’, W 110°21’15’’).
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Roca Swany, Isla Espíritu Santo (N 24°23’16’’, W 110°17’31’’).
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Punta Diablo, Bahía de La Paz (N 24°18’43’’, W 110°20’16’’).
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Cantil Norte, Cabo Pulmo (N 23°26’23.4”, W 109°24’40.1”)
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Los Morros, Cabo Pulmo (N 23°27’41.1”, W 109°24’26.8”)
Implemented methods
Fragments of the genus Pocillopora spp. with two methods of fixation, one with the girdle technique and the other with epoxy resin. Measurements were made every two months. Each method is used depending on the characteristics of the site. If the site has a rocky substrate with small rings or rocky holes, it is easier to use the cinch method, otherwise the epoxy resin is used, since it allows the coral to adhere to any part of the substrate.
Identification labels must be added to each fragment in order to subsequently monitor and measure it. Likewise, the site where the fragments were restored should be delimited with balls and georeferenced to facilitate finding it later.
Cabo Pulmo National Park (PNCP)
In 2017, as part of a joint project between UABCS and CONANP, a restoration program was carried out at the PNCP in order to mitigate the effects that the Park's reefs have had due to meteorological events and the impact of tourism. For the program, only 200 coral fragments were restored, 100 at a site 8 meters deep and another 100 at 14 meters. A fairly high survival rate (76%) was obtained and given the viability of the method in the area, it is expected that this work will continue in the future.
Espírito Santo Archipelago National Park (PNAES)
In 2015, experimentation with restoration methods began to mitigate the damage done by past meteorological events. Over time, a joint project between the UABCS and CONANP carried out the restoration of just over 200 fragments, and later the restoration of other areas on the Island continued as part of a doctoral thesis. Survival rates were in principle similar to those found in the PNCP. However, in PNAES the appearance of quite large populations of coral starfish (Acanthaster spp.) Has put many of the restored fragments at risk, resulting in very high mortality rates. This ecological phenomenon is still being investigated.
Parque Nacional Archipiélago de Espíritu Santo (PNAES)
En el 2015 se comenzó a experimentar con métodos de restauración para mitigar el daño efectuado por eventos meteorológicos pasados. Con el tiempo, un proyecto en conjunto entre la UABCS y la CONANP se efectuó la restauración de poco más de 200 fragmentos, posteriormente se continuó realizando la restauración de otras zonas en la Isla como parte de una tesis de doctorado. Las tasas de supervivencia en principio fueron similares a las encontradas en el PNCP. Sin embargo, en el PNAES la aparición de poblaciones bastante numerosas de estrellas de mar coralivoras (Acanthaster spp.) ha puesto en riesgo muchos de los fragmentos restaurados, dando como resultado tasas de mortalidad muy altas. Este fenómeno ecológico se sigue investigando.
