Environment

Cayman Islands to establish coral nurseries

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  1. Coral Nursery References
  2. Caribbean Acropora Restoration Guide
  3. http://www.conservationgateway.org/Files/Page s/Caribbean-Acropora-Restoration-Guide.aspx
  4. Reef Restoration Concepts & Guidelines
  5. http://www.coralreef.gov/mitigation/edwards_cr tr_2007_reef_restoration_guide.pdf
  6. All corals shall remain the property of the Crown (Cayman Islands Government) at all times.
  7. All activities shall be carried out within provisions of existing laws.
  8. Coral nurseries, including out-plantings, shall be created under the auspices and management of the Department of Environment.
  9. The Department shall keep regulatory partners informed of all coral nursery activities that would otherwise require individual approval.
  10. Ministry of Environment & Cabinet – Coastal Works ii.   National Conservation Council – Collection of Corals iii.   Port Authority – emplacement of moorings, buoys, etc.
  11. Nursery projects shall be identified by non-specific names, e.g., Little
  12. No commercial sponsorship or branding of out-planting sites.
  13. Commercial sponsorship of nurseries, including minimal in situ branding, may be acceptable, if agreed as part of MOU.
  14. Conservation shall be the primary purpose of nurseries, especially out-plantings and production of corals.
  15. Research as a secondary purpose may be acceptable.
  16. Tourism as an added value of the project may be acceptable. c.   Harvesting for sale shall not be allowed.
  17. For ‘emergency’ replantings, proposed mitigations, etc., the DoE shall assess such requests, in consultation with PI, and decide how many corals, if any, from which if any nurseries, would be made available. The DoE shall retain final decision-making authority in these instances, including project staff selection, charges, etc.
  18. The Department of Environment may partner with private institutions in the creation and continuation of coral nurseries.
  19. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) shall be agreed between
  20. nursery site and method, i.e., permanent or temporary structures ii.   donor coral selection, including site location, and methods
  21. purpose of nursery
  22. control of access to nursery
  23. control of publicity regarding nursery
  24. Nurseries are not a solution. “An exciting opportunity” but not
  25. Development sites cannot be saved by moving coral;
  26. Coral nurseries are a public/private partnership.
  27. Confidentiality clauses if needed, especially a ‘quiet period’ during conception and initiation of the project, or relating to publication of research or other information
  28. termination of MOU
  29. Including shutdown protocols for nursery
  30. May include ‘emergency protocol’, including funding assessment/plan, in case Government (DoE) has to shut down nursery without PI support.
  31. Renegotiation of MOU
  32. Division of labour and cost for different aspects of the nursery project xii. Hurricane and other contingency plans
  33. Total number of coral stock clippings allowed xvi. Species to be grown within the nursery
  34. Best Practices, generally to be followed by MOUs
  35. Partner Institutions shall identify suitable nursery sites. Department of
  36. Preference may be given to corals exhibiting evidence of increased resilience, especially to bleaching and disease.
  37. Coral selection may be mindful of the need to represent geographic diversity
  38. No more than 25% of any parent colony shall be harvested.
  39. Longest branches shall be harvested to reduce total number of cut branches per colony.
  40. DoE & PI may agree on division of labour and material cost regarding nursery installation.
  41. Nurseries shall start off small, using minimum number of corals, and expand as success warrants.
  42. Coral harvesting and out-planting should occur between November and May to avoid spawning, temperature and storm stresses on corals.
  43. DoE may take or supervise initial coral clippings. PI shall be permitted to conduct subsequent, within nursery, stock divisions.
  44. PI may be permitted to retrieve corals dislodged from nursery by storms, etc.                                                                                                                                                                                                          i.   Notification of all such re-collections shall be filled with DoE before collection occurs.
  45. DoE may agree to collection by PI or arrange oversight of collection, as resources and situation indicate
  46. Results of such collection shall be included in next regular nursery reporting.
  47. Coral Nursery Pest Management
  48. Apply to nursery site only. Does not apply to combined nursery/out- planting sites.
  49. Lionfish shall be destroyed.
  50. Disease incidences shall be recorded as part of monitoring protocol.
  51. Disease outbreaks at nursery sites may be reported to the Coral Health & Disease Consortium. A copy of the report shall be filed with the DoE and included in the next regular nursery report.
  52. Anything growing on the coral deemed to inhibit growth may be removed and destroyed in the same manner, including, but not limited to,
  53. Overgrowing Mat Tunicate (Trididemum solidum)
  54. Encrusting & Boring Sponges, e.g., Cliona sp.
  55. Snails and fireworms may be removed, bagged and then destroyed on land.
  56. Damselfish may be netted and relocated to natural reef areas.
  57. Algae may be manually removed. May be allowed to remain in water after removal.
  58. Nurseries shall be restricted to only specific species. In order of current preference,
  59. Acropora cervicronis ii.   Acropora palmata
  60. There shall be no land-based nurseries; in situ conservation only.
  61. Lead PI personnel shall require training either by DoE or through agreed workshops or courses either locally or overseas, or proof of training/experience acceptable to DoE.
  62. There shall be no transport of corals between or among islands and no use of corals imported from outside the coastal waters of the Cayman Islands.
  63. Harvesting Effect Surveys shall be conducted monthly on donor sites and colonies for 6 months before and for 6 months after harvesting
  64. Disease outbreaks at donor sites may be reported to the Coral Health & Disease Consortium and shall be reported to the DoE.
  65. Nursery Monitoring shall be carried out at least monthly
  66. Reporting may be
  67. In detail: Internal to DoE & PI & any regulators or third parties involved
  68. Synopsis: Periodic public reports, as separate from any publicity released by DoE or the PI under the terms of the MOU
  69. Out-Plantings
  70. Shall require permission and MOU separate from nursery b.   Sites may be nominated by DoE, PI or third party
  71. Sites shall be approved by DoE in consultation with PI
  72. May be conducted by DoE, or PI in conjunction with DoE, or by third party in conjunction with DoE & PI
  73. Out-plantings shall remain the property of the Crown. Out-planting sites will
  74. Temporary access controls may be implemented to encourage out- planting success.
  75. Out-planting success surveys may be conducted comparing coral cover at sites before and after out-planting as well as out-plant survival and growth rates compared to survival and growth rates of baseline corals.
  76. Baseline corals shall be of the same species and at the same or a similar site to the out-plantings
  77. May be conducted monthly for six months prior to out-planting and six months following out-planting; annually thereafter for a period of five years
  78. Survey methodology shall be agreed as part of MOU
  79. Survey reporting guidelines shall be included within MOU
  80. Disease outbreaks at out-planting or control sites may be reported to the Coral Health & Disease Consortium and shall be reported to the DoE.

Published May 11, 2015

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