Dear Yudi,

Coral reef are very sensitive ecosystem in ocean. Their maximum growth rate is about 1 cm per year. there are two types of damages to coral reef

One is physical damage. If the damage is this type, it is possible to recover them but it will take long time.

Coral reef are very sensitive to the water quality changes specially, pH and temperature. If physiochemical environment of coral reef has changed slightly/significantly, they dead permanently, and it is not possible to recover them till recovery of the environment.

However, according to your information, damage is physical, so that it can recover timely.

It is important to draw your attention about the their natural growth timely. you can monitor the growth by observing the physical changes of the coral (shape and size)

Piyal Aravinna

Hi Yudi,

Coral reef damage to vessel groundings has been studied and there are a number of papers published on the subject. The answer to your question depends on many factors from the degree of damage to the reef framework, the status of the local environment where the grounding occurred (e.g., pollution and disease), the type of physical damage the grounding resulted (was the reef matrix left mostly intact or turned to rubble), did the grounding released some toxins from the cargo resulting in chemical contamination, availability of coral spawn from local and regional reef systems (coral recruitment rates, post-settlement survival, etc.), physical disturbances (hydrodynamic forcing) after the grounding occurred etc. Ship groundings that result is severe damage to the reef matrix by turning it into a rubble field pose the greatest threat to coral reef recovery even in relatively pristine environments, because of substrate mobilization and this gets worse if the coral reef is also subject to other anthropogenic stressors. As you can see the question is very complex so I have attached a few papers that you should find useful. I would also like to suggest looking at the following link that addresses marine ecosystem restoration:

https://meam.openchannels.org/news/meam/how-can-we-restore-marine-ecosystems-perspectives-and-tips-global-experts

Cheers, Tomas

Dear Yudi, The comment on growth rate is an important one as it can take many years to restore the size and species composition of damaged reefs, and hence ecosystem functioning, especially when there are other stressors (climate change) involved. Ellen

Hi,

Good point on the growth rates, but a distinction should be kept in mind between the growth rates of corals at the individual level (i.e. colony), coral community and the coral reef matrix. There are now many examples (see attached papers) demonstrating that recovery of coral communities can be relatively fast depending on local and regional environmental and ecological conditions. However, the growth rates of the coral reef matrix (i.e. the reef itself) will always take longer time.

Our 1993 study (published in 1996) on Banda Api following a catastrophic (for the coral reef) volcanic eruption in Indonesia clearly demonstrated that diverse coral communities can recover very rapidly after relatively short time period from total destruction, provided there are the right environmental and ecological conditions to drive the recovery. See:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225976451_Rapid_coral_colonization_of_a_recent_lava_flow_following_a_volcanic_eruption_Banda_Islands_Indonesia

The coral community that developed after 5 years was the start of the veneering coral community the pre-curser of a coral reef. We also observed a well developed coral reef community on a 40+ year-old lava flow on Ruang Island (attached picture) where the carbonate matric at some areas above the underlying lava was 50 cm. One could say that this may now be an incipient coral reef. More info can be found in the following link pages 522-577 and the attached papers.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301883538_Chapter_Eleven_Coral_Reef_Natural_Disturbances

Tomas

Coral Reef Restoration - Cousin Island

natureseychelles.org/what-we-do/coral-reef-restoration --you can see this article

• In restoring coral reef through asexual propagation and the securement of coral fragments..
• There are three primary or foundation objectives that are...

• These objectives can also be referred to structural, biological, and physical conditions

If you know more details..Refer below link..

https://newheavenreefconservation.org/learning-resources/explore-topics/reef-restoration-methods