A new large‐scale and cost‐effective restoration method for cold‐water coral gardens

Abstract

1. Gorgonians dwelling on the Mediterranean continental shelf are among the most frequent fishing bycatch taxa. These species display several traits, such as long lifespans and slow growth, which make them very vulnerable to the impacts caused by fishing activities with far-reaching and long-lasting effects. 2. Hence, restoration and mitigation actions are crucial to enhance and speed up the natural recovery of damaged cold-water coral gardens. Given the growing concern to develop effective and affordable restoration actions, the present study aims to propose and technically validate a new large-scale and cost-effective restoration method. 3. This technique, named 'badminton method', consists of attaching bycatch Eunicella cavolini colonies to cobble supports and returning them to the continental shelf by gently throwing the gorgonian transplants directly from a boat. 4. Two consecutive field experiments were conducted in order to find the best cobble type support and gorgonian size to be used: first, to evaluate the landing efficiency of gorgonian transplants at different depths (from 5 to 30 m) and second, to evaluate their capability to maintain a correct position over time. 5. Natural cobbles with large gorgonians attached were the best option. Field results and modelling approaches suggest that the transplants would correctly land on the continental shelf seabed in a predicted area of around 60 m 2. Moreover, they would successfully maintain an upright position ensuring gorgonian survival over time. 6. The success of this method highlights the feasibility of large-scale and low-cost restoration actions with promising results for the conservation and recovery of cold-water coral gardens.

Marine ecosystem restoration in a changing ocean

“…Structuring restoration action with the support of multiple groups/stakeholders (e.g. fisher-supplied coral by-catch for coral transplants, Montseny et al 2020) can increase efficiency and promote a culture of restoration aimed at recovering both ecosystem health and human health (Cross et al 2019). The implementation phase of marine restoration projects critically requires the involvement of key stakeholders, including companies with expertise in coastal and offshore and marine industries.…”

“…Reported are: (1) example of the restoration of seagrass meadows (upper section); (2) restoration of algal forests and assemblages on hard bottoms (mid section); restoration of deep-sea habitats (lower section). biodegradable containers and supports (Temmink et al 2020;Da Ros et al 2021) and of the innovative deployment of coral by-catch for cold-water coral transplants (Montseny et al 2020).…”

High Coral Bycatch in Bottom-Set Gillnet Coastal Fisheries Reveals Rich Coral Habitats in Southern Portugal

“…Nevertheless, this study highlights the importance of collaborating with fishermen in order to better understand deep-sea coral biodiversity, as well as of how scientists and fishermen can work together to protect such vulnerable species. In that regard, recent efforts, including work led by our team (in prep), have shown that the tremendous amount of coral biomass generated in fishing vessels using bottom-contact gear constitutes a major resource for restoration ecology (Montseny et al, 2019(Montseny et al, , 2020.…”

Involving fishers in scaling up the restoration of cold-water coral gardens on the Mediterranean continental shelf

“…Given this situation, the present study aims to go one step further in the restoration of CWC gardens, by scaling up the restoration of gorgonian populations on the Mediterranean continental shelf applying a low-cost method (Montseny et al, 2020) and involving local fishers. The active participation of local actors and stakeholders in ecological restoration actions may play a decisive role in their successful development (Hull and Gobster, 2000;Yap, 2000).…”