Evaluation of demographic indicators of Pocillopora (Scleractinia: Pocilloporidae) in island vs. coastal sites: Implications for a regional restoration program.

Introduction: The maintenance of the coral communities depends directly on the capacity of the individuals to grow as a whole colony. Since growth shapes the basis of the physical structure of the reef, determining the growth rate of builder coral-species and their response to environmental variations will allow us to identify their particular potential to implement more effective restoration strategies.Objective: To determine the growth rate of the reef-building coral Pocillopora throughout the Mexican Central Pacific (PCM) and its relationship with fluctuations in environmental conditions.Methods: From August 2019 -October 2020, a total of 153 branched coral fragments of the genus Pocillopora were monitored and transplanted as part of the restoration program in different PCM locations: Islas Marietas National Park and in the Caleta de Cuastecomates. Coral growth (cm center dot year-1) and survival rate (%), was calcu-lated and correlated with temperature, PAR and Kd490 for each locality.Results: The results show similar patterns in the parameters examined among the coral fragments were found for all sites, with a survival range of 61.6 - 68 %, whose mortality was mainly related to hurricanes and storms that affected the region. However, growth rate range from 2.0 - 8.0 cm center dot year-1, with no significant differences between locations. Also, no differences in environmental conditions between locations were recorded.Conclusions: The branching corals of the genus Pocillopora present a similar growth rate in insular and coastal sites of the PCM, so it could be expected that the implementation of a restoration program throughout thisregion of the Mexican Pacific would be potentially successful, since local environmental conditions are not limiting factors.

Automated summary

This study determined the growth rate of Pocillopora coral in different locations in the Mexican Central Pacific region and found that the branching corals exhibited a similar growth rate with no significant differences between sites. Therefore, the implementation of a restoration program in this region is expected to be successful, as environmental conditions are not limiting factors.