Comparison of three types of adhesives in attaching coral transplants to clam shell substrates

1. Nubbins from 12 coral species were transplanted onto dead giant clam shells at three sites in a lagoon near Bolinao, north-western Philippines. Transplants were attached using three types of adhesives: cyanoacrylate glue (SG), epoxy putty (EP) and marine epoxy (ME) and were monitored over five months for detachment, in situ mortality and natural self-attachment by tissue growth. 2. Corals attached with SG showed a significantly higher rate of detachment (logrank test) than those attached with either EP or M E (P < 0.001 in each case). Also, those attached with EP showed a higher rate of detachment than corals attached with M E (logrank = 6.46. P < 0.05). 3. ANOVA (P > 0.05) and survival analysis (logrank =2.85, P > 0.05) showed no among-adhesives differences in in situ mortality. Among the species used, Porites cylindrica, Pavona frondifera, Heliopora coerulea and Porites rus had the highest survivorship with 82%, 80%, 76% and 73%, respectively. Of nubbins alive at the end of the experiment and also displayed the highest cumulative rates of self-attachment. Species with the lowest survival rates included Acropora muricata and four pocilloporids. 4. Although there was no significant difference in the number of self-attaching transplants among the adhesives, corals transplanted using ME and EP self-attached earlier than those transplanted using SG (logrank = 11.19, P < 0.01). 5. Results from this study highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate means of attaching corals to substrates and carefully considering species-specific traits of candidate corals for transplantation. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.