The Genetics Working Group's recent paper, Molecular tools for coral reef restoration: Beyond biomarker discovery which outlines a framework for the development of molecular biomarkers, was featured on the cover of the February 2020 issue of the journal of Conservation Letters. Photo credit: Hayley‐Jo Carr, Perry Institute of Marine Science.

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CRC ANNOUNCEMENTS

While having these two conferences a few months apart is not ideal, CRC and ICRS collectively agree that further delay could compromise the distribution of the crucial work in which we are all engaged. Both the CRC and ICRS 2021 are part of the ICRS, and share common objectives. The two conferences are complementary with Reef Futures focusing more on sharing advances in the practical application of coral restoration and restoration science and ICRS 2021 focusing more on advances in the fundamentals of coral reef science.

Reef Futures expects to open the call for abstracts this summer.
 

• The Genetics Working Group presented a webinar on another recently published paper Maximizing the Adaptive Potential of Restored Coral Populations. In case you missed it, you can view the webinar HERE.

• On March 2-6, the CRC Leadership Team met in-person in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. Thank you to Tatiana Villalobos, Chair of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Regional Group for hosting a super fun and productive meeting. Outcomes of the meeting and priorities for 2020-2025 will be posted on our website soon.

PARTNER ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Due to many concerns and complications from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 14th International Coral Reef Symposium has been postponed until July 18-23, 2021.

• A preliminary Coral Reef Report Card on the environmental health status of the Gulf of Mexico Coral Reefs has been created by Biodiversidad Marina de Yucatan (BDMY) and The Harte Research Institute (HRI) in order to raise awareness of the significance of this region. This is a trinational collaboration involving more than 22 institutions.

• Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Coral Restoration Foundation’s 8th annual gala, Raise the Reef, has been cancelled.

• Healthy Reefs and Smithsonian Conservation Commons hosted a webinar Restoring herbivory to reduce macroalgal proliferation: Caribbean King Crab mariculture potential on April 14. In case you missed it, you can view the webinar HERE. 

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Coral Biologist/Ecologist at the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, FL. Strong preference for applicants with a PhD. Announcement closes on April 16.

• Postdoctoral research associate for a one year position at The Lasker lab at the University at Buffalo to develop a population model of the Caribbean gorgonian Antillogorgia elisabethae.

• PhD position in coral reef biology at the University of Alabama and Dauphin Island Sea Lab. For more information, please email Kenneth D. Hoadley (kdhoadley@ua.edu). 

• Communication and Outreach Specialist with SECORE International in Germany. 

• Recent Graduate research opportunity at U.S. EPA's Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division in Gulf Breeze, FL investigating effects of fine grain sediment on coral pertaining to dredging activities. 

• Technical Site Manager at Nature Seychelles in Praslin Island, Republic of Seychelles, to assist with reef restoration by establishing coral farming and nurseries, by actively restoring degraded reefs and by developing partnerships and business approaches to reef restoration. For more information, please email Samuel Ramkalawan, Project Coordinator (sam@natureseychelles.org).

UPCOMING MEETINGS: 

2020

• April 14-17 (Manado,Indonesia): 6th International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium (ITMEMS)- POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

• http://congreso2020.redcre.com/

• July 21-25 (Santa Marta, Colombia): V Colombian Congress and VI Iberoamerican and Caribbean Congress of Ecological Restoration, - POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

• August 21-25  (Koh Tao, Thailand) Reef Restoration Course POSTPONED DUE TO COVID-19

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

2021

• January 7-15 (Marseille, France) : IUCN World Conservation Congress

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

• Jul 18-23 (Bremen, Germany): 14th International Coral Reef Symposium. 

• July 18-23 (Bremen, Germany) Youth Leaders Workshop

March 2020 MEDIA ROUNDUP 

Research:

• Bayraktarov, E., Banaszak, A., Montoya-Maya, P. H., Kleypas, J., Arias-Gonzalez, J. E., Blanco, M., ... & Salgado, M. A. G. (2020). Coral reef restoration efforts in Latin American countries and territories. bioRxiv.

• Cameron, K. A., & Harrison, P. L. (2020). Density of coral larvae can influence settlement, post-settlement colony abundance and coral cover in larval restoration. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-11.

• Capel, K. C., López, C., Moltó-Martín, I., Zilberberg, C., Creed, J. C., Knapp, I. S., ... & Kitahara, M. V. (2020). Atlantia, a new genus of Dendrophylliidae (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia) from the eastern Atlantic. PeerJ, 8, e8633.

• Golomb, D., Shashar, N., & Rinkevich, B. (2020). Coral carpets- a novel ecological engineering tool aimed at constructing coral communities on soft sand bottoms. Ecological Engineering 145: 105743.

• Lengefeld, E., Metternicht, G., & Nedungadi, P. Behavior change and sustainability of ecological restoration projects. Restoration Ecology.

• Lustic, C., Maxwell, K., Bartels, E., Reckenbeil, B., Utset, E., Schopmeyer, S., ... & Lirman, D. (2020). The impacts of competitive interactions on coral colonies after transplantation: A multispecies experiment from the Florida Keys, US. Bulletin of Marine Science.

• Rinkevich, B. (2020). Ecological engineering approaches in coral reef restoration. ICES Journal of Marine Science.

• Saponari, L. (2020). New insights into coral reef threats and restoration perception: a case study in the Republic of Maldives.

• Ugalde, R. V., Salas, C. G., Reyes, C. P., Vargas, E. U., & Nassar, M. A. (2020). “Jardinería” para la restauración coralina en el Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica: Una prueba práctica. UNED Research Journal, 12(1), e2809-e2809.

• Wells, C. D., Tonra, K. J., & Lasker, H. R. (2020). Embryogenesis, polyembryony, and settlement in the gorgonian Plexaura homomalla. bioRxiv.

News:

• Strasbaugh, Kelly (March 30). Sarasota Student Filmmakers Win State-of-the-Art Aquarium. 

• Newsroom (March 29). Celebrate your love for the ocean, virtually. 

• Cohen, Lana (March 25). Scientist is Saving Corals by Breeding Them In The Lab.

• Polita, Glynn (March 25). 2020 Pew Marine Fellows to Work on Shark Protection, Aquaculture, and More.

• Wadlow, Kevin (March 18). Group seeks to rebuild Islamorada reefs.

• Liang, John (March 17). UAE Grants $3.5 Million To Restore Reefs In The Florida Keys. 

• Diamandis, Peter (March 11). Tech Must Help Restore Earth’s Biodiversity. These 5 Solutions Are a Start.

• SQR (March 9). Tervis Partners with Florida Aquarium to Help Coral Reefs.

• Arabian Business (February 27). UAE donates $3.5m to restore Florida Keys coral reefs. 

• Ismail, Esraa (February 27). UAE’ $3.5m gift will launch major reef restoration programme in Florida Keys.  

• Scuba Diver Magazine (February 21). Whitsundays Reef Restoration project. 

• University of Guam (February 19). Coral reef authorities in Guam sign partnership agreement.

• National University of Singapore (February 13). Coral Nurseries can Shelter Threatened Species.

• Bourzac, Katherine (February 10). Climate change is destroying our coral reefs. Here’s how scientists plan to save them. 

• Ramirez, Rachel (January 30). Airbnb wants to send you to the Bahamas for free ⁠— but there’s a catch.

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.

We encourage you to get involved! We are updating our CRC website to make information more readily available, and CRC’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube channel have news and current events related to coral reef restoration.