I want to assess a coral reef that was affected by an earthquake 3 years ago and I'm thinking about adding DNA analysis to determine genetic diversity of the coral species there. What would be a good way to extract coral samples while keeping the damage at a minimum? I'm wary of harming anything alive in the area, especially since it's a Marine Protected Area that is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Hello Mr. Towe, thanks for replying! The protected area is in Bohol, Philippines. From what I know, that side of the island was elevated by 3 meters so some parts of the reef must have been exposed and died like in another MPA that's around 14 km north of it. I don't have experience taking samples from corals yet so I'm wary of any great damage that I might do. I know that the reef is still healthy enough to support the livelihood of the fishermen in the area without them overfishing or using dangerous methods like dynamite fishing, etc..
I'm not collaborating with Jv but we are in the same Ecology class.
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