Where has the CRC been this year, and where are we going in 2020?

The Coral Restoration Consortium had its first meeting in early 2017. In 2018, ICRS adopted Restoration as its first Topic Chapter with the Steering Committee being one and the same as the ICRS Restoration Topic Chapter. At its inception, the Coral Restoration Consortium (CRC) focused on the Caribbean and most of the leadership was from the Caribbean. Within the past year, as reefs have struggled, and a growing number of locations engage in restoration, the CRC has expanded globally. 

In June 2019, the CRC voted in several new Steering Committee Members from various tropical regions, and in September, we adopted three Regional Groups (Eastern Tropical Pacific, Latin America, and Australia).  

The CRC coordinates coral reef restoration science and practice, primarily via the Working Groups. In July, the Monitoring Working Group put together an excellent webinar on Photomosaics in coordination with the Reef Resilience Network. The webinar presents the state of the science, the benefits of monitoring reefs with this technology, low-budget as well as high-resolution options for implementation, and resources for adoption. Photomosaics are an ideal method for documenting the successes and challenges of reef restoration. The large area images can illustrate the ultimate metric of reef health at an appropriate ecological scale. They document species composition, coral cover, and growth of corals, and allow a re-examination of past data. The webinar relied on expertise from several academics and featured case studies by reef restoration practitioners. 

Meanwhile, the Genetics Working Group published two papers this year: Considerations for maximizing the adaptive potential of restored coral populations in the western Atlantic, and Molecular tools for coral reef restoration: beyond biomarker discovery (in press). This group has taken the critical, but difficult, task of providing genetics guidance on restoration for practitioners and managers, even when the science is incomplete. They provide clear and simple guidance on obtaining restoration material, recommending using at least six genets. Although the results focus on the relatively species-poor Caribbean, the Caribbean has been at the forefront of restoration and these recommendations should serve the global coral reef community as a starting point for consideration. 

In addition to these stellar accomplishments, the Larval Propagation Working Group has coordinated observations on spawning times and research on post-settlement survival and created multiple species fact sheets. The Land-based Propagation Working Group has prepared a health-check protocol and the Monitoring Group has prepared Coral Restoration Monitoring Guidelines as well as a new Restoration Database. All of these documents will be reviewed by CRC Leadership in the coming months, after which they will be made available to the community. Lastly, the coral restoration community can look forward to another Reef Futures conference in May 2021.
 

CRC ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Interested in having your Acropora sp. samples genotyped? The Baums lab developed a high-resolution hybridization-based genotype array coupled with a standardized analysis workflow and database for the most speciose genus of coral, Acropora, and their symbionts. We designed the array to co-analyze host and symbionts based on bi-allelic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers identified from genomic data of the two Caribbean Acropora species as well as their dominant dinoflagellate symbiont, Symbiodinium ‘fitti’.  SNPs were selected to resolve multi-locus genotypes of host (called genets) and symbionts (called strains), distinguish populations and determine ancestry of the coral hybrids. An additional 18 SNP loci enable the detection of symbionts belonging to the genera Breviolum, Cladocopium, and Durusdinium. The analytic tools to produce multi-locus genotypes were combined in a workflow called the Standard Tools for Acroporid Genotyping (STAG). In the workflow the user’s data is compared to a database of previously genotyped samples and provides information on their collection history, and temporal and spatial changes in the extent of the genets. Pacific acroporids can also be genotyped using this workflow. The STAG analysis and database are contained within a customized, publicly available Galaxy environment, which allows for consistent identification of host genets. This data can be used in downstream genomic analyses as well as restoration planning.
   
  The SNP chip is sold by Fisher Scientific and takes 96 samples at a time. Costs are US $50 per extracted DNA sample, with a 96 sample minimum. The company EUROFINS provided DNA extraction services at US $8 / sample and can also run the SNPchip at US $50 / sample in-house.
   
  Folks might not have 96 samples to genotype at this time so the logical step is combine samples from multiple groups. If you are interested in getting together with others to have your sample/s genotyped using the Acropora SNPchip please email coral.restoration@noaa.gov by February 15, 2020.

PARTNER ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) and the Hawaii Coral Restoration Nursery (HCRN) will be sponsoring the very first Hawaii Coral School (HCS) at the Anuenue Fisheries Research Center (AFRC) on Sand Island in Honolulu, Hawaii. HCS2020 will be an opportunity to learn coral husbandry techniques and protocols from the HCRN’s professional coral aquarist staff. The five-day training workshop will run daily from June 1st through June 5th, 2020 at AFRC.  There is no cost to participate in this workshop, but the training will be limited to 18 participants and does NOT include transportation, lodging or meals. For questions, please feel free to contact David Gulko (david.a.gulko@hawaii.gov). All applications must be through the on-line application process along with emailing a 1 -2 page CV to callies@hawaii.edu. Application deadline is February 14, 2020.

• NOAA has released the FY2020 NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Phase I research which includes a research topic for Underwater Adhesive for Coral Restoration (9.2.04). More information about this funding opportunity and research topics can be found HERE. (Official announcement of FY2019 Phase I winners should be announced imminently.)

• The Acropora Recovery Implementation Team (ARIT) is an advisory group convened by NOAA/NMFS to advise on recovery actions and priorities under the U.S. Endangered Species Act recovery plan. One of the published ESA recovery actions relates to genetic banking. The ARIT's working group on genetic banking has issued a report, now available HERE, describing goals for a genetic bank to aid in species recovery and recommendations for developing such a genetic archive for Acropora palmata and Acropora.cervicornis.

• Coral Restoration Foundation's most glamorous night of the year is also their most important. Raise the Reef, the Coral Restoration Foundation™ Annual Gala, generates vital funds to support the mission to save and restore imperiled coral reefs around the world. 

  During this incredible evening, CRF™ hosts an audience of around 300 of the country’s most philanthropic individuals who have the capacity to make real change. Raise the Reef attendees enjoy craft cocktails, silent and live auctions, and a sustainably-sourced banquet dinner all at the unique Ocean Reef Club®. 

  For more information go to https://www.coralrestoration.org/raise-the-reef-2020. 

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Postdoctoral Researcher at for the Hope for Reefs Initiative at The California Academy of Sciences. The two-year position will research coral reef biology and conservation. Application deadline is January 10, 2020. 

• NOAA Fisheries Biologist at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami working on reef fish and coral surveys and research.  Diving certification is a prerequisite. Application closes January 13. 

• PhD opportunity fully funded at the University of Amsterdam in coral biology. PhD student will conduct research on corals living in extreme/marginal reef environments to better understand the environmental, eco-physiological and biogeochemical mechanisms that promote coral persistence in a changing ocean. For questions, please contact Dr. Verena  Schoepf (v.schoepf@uva.nl). Applications due January 26, 2020. 

• Postdoctoral Researcher in Coral Cell Biology in Lewinski lab at Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA).

• Postdoctoral Position: Modeling coral reef and seagrass ecosystems. The ideal applicant would have strong quantitative skills, particularly with some combination of population modeling, bioenergetics, agent-based models, or nutrient dynamics models. The position is available beginning immediately in the Allgeier Lab at the University of Michigan.

• 2020 NMFS-Sea Grant Fellowship The NMFS-Sea Grant Joint Fellowship Program in Population and Ecosystem Dynamics and Marine Resource Economics places PhD students studying in one of two priority areas in three year research-based fellowships. Announcements for the 2020 fellowship classes are now open. Applications are due to Sea Grant programs on January 30, 2020.

UPCOMING MEETINGS: 

2020

• Feb 9-12 (Honolulu, Hawaii): Aquaculture America 2020

• Feb 16-21 (San Diego, CA): Ocean Sciences Meeting

• March 9-10 (Tokyo, Japan): World Ocean Summit 

• June 11-19 (Marseille, France) : IUCN World Conservation Congress [Coral experts needed!]

• Jul 5-10 (Bremen, Germany): 14th International Coral Reef Symposium. 

• July 5-6 (Bremen, Germany) Youth Leaders Workshop

• Jul 13-18 (Koh Tao, Thailand) Reef Restoration Course 

• Aug 24-27 (Kiel, Germany): 6th International Marine Conservation Congress. 

2021

• May 17-21 (Key Largo, FL): Reef Futures Conference 2021.

January 2020 MEDIA ROUNDUP 

Research:

• Solomon, S. L., Grottoli, A. G., Warner, M. E., Levas, S., Schoepf, V., & Muñoz-Garcia, A. (2020). Lipid class composition of annually bleached Caribbean corals. Marine Biology, 167(1), 7. 

• Quimpo, T. J. R., Cabaitan, P. C., & Hoey, A. S. Detachment of Porites cylindrica nubbins by herbivorous fishes. Restoration Ecology.

News:

• Mandel, Kyla. 7 bold ways scientists are saving coral reefs.

• Shirazi, Elina (January 7). Scientists in Florida Keys spending $100 million to stop coral reef deaths. 

• Fox 13 News (December 29). Florida Aquarium assists in Keys reef restoration. 

• Wadlow, Kevin (December 25). Keys awash in water-related news during year.

• Mariotti, Mia (December 25). Coral reef restoration efforts in Dominican Republic. 

• Bonnelame, Betymie (December 24). Last minute gift? Adopt a terrapin or some coral in Seychelles. 

• Lau, Chak Onn (December 23). Meet Anuar- The Terengganu Man Who Built A World-Famous Empire of … Coral Glue? 

• Ward, Sarah (December 22). Australia Is Now Home to the Southern Hemisphere's First Museum of Underwater Art. 

• Divernet (December 21). Costly Plan to Restore Florida Reefs.

• Whitman, Hilary (December 15).The man behind Earth Hour wants you to photograph the Great Barrier Reef.

• RNZ (December 9). Funding boost for coral restoration in Guam.   

• Butler, Gavin (December 5). Scientists Are Luring Fish Back to Dead Reefs by Playing Them Sounds From Thriving, Healthy Reefs. 

• FBN (December 4). Restoring Coral Reefs.

• Saipan Tribune (December 3). UOG secures grant for coral restoration. 

• Dance, Amber (November 27). These corals could survive climate change — and help save the world’s reefs. 

• Latest ACRC (Australian Coral Restoration Consortium) (Link) with links to a number of regionally relevant articles.

The mission of the CRC is to foster collaboration and technology transfer among coral restoration scientists, practitioners, and managers, and to facilitate a community of practice that will advance coral restoration to keep pace with rapidly changing ocean and environmental conditions.