Development of Ornamental Coral Culture. Technology in Kenya: is it viable? Edward Kimani & Gladys Okemwa. Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute ...
Development of Ornamental Coral Culture Technology in Kenya: is it viable?
Edward Kimani & Gladys Okemwa Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
INTRODUCTION •
Aquarium Industry in Kenya has shown great interest in diversifying their trade due to increasing interest and demand for cultured corals in global ornamental trade
•
Culturing of aquarium corals has been shown to be technologically possible and economically viable in the Pacific e.g. Fiji, Solomon islands.
•
Some culture experiments have been conducted in WIO region (i.e. Tanzania, Kenya) focusing on reef restoration
•
Species studied are restricted hence need to widen the suite of species using different techniques and assess their culture suitability.
•Domestic trade of coral curios in continues to thrive in Kenya despite being illegal
•Cultured coral can be promoted as more sustainable alternative to harvesting from natural reefs with other potential uses in:
•Aquariums •Curio coral trades •Coral reef restoration •Enhancement of snorkelling community ecotourism ventures
AIM AND OBJECTIVES AIM: To demonstrate the viability of coral culture for the aquarium trade in Kenya by providing information on technical and production feasibility of culturing several species of corals Determine survival and growth rates of selected acropora and pocillopora species Determine the influence of initial fragment size on the survival of transplanted coral species Assess the effect of fragmentation on the survival of donor colonies.
HYPOTHESIS • Growth and survival rates of transplanted Acropora and Pocillopora species are significantly different • Survival and growth rate of transplanted coral fragments are dependent on size of initial fragment • Fragmentation of donor coral colonies does not significantly affect their survival.
Fabrication Tables: 12 mm (1/2 inch) metal bars bent and wired together Culture Frames : 1 X 1 cm galvanised wire mesh, painted to prevent rusting. Substrate Base: 600 cement disks attached in 2 phases
SPECIES SELECTED
Acropora verwei
Pocillopora damicornis
Acropora humilis
Pocillopora verrucosa Acropora selago
Pocillopora eydouxi Porites rus
Species Composition
Phase 1
Phase 2
Acropora humilis
133
43
Acropora selago Acropora verwei
36
46
197
48
Pocillopora damicornis
161
46
Pocillopora eydouxi
17
8
Pocillopora verrucosa
46
0
Porites rus
10
9
600
200
Total
Collection of Donor Corals and Fragmentation
3 – 5cm fragments chipped from donor colonies in Nyali reserve and transported to Mombasa Marine Park in buckets filled with seawater. Depth ranging from 2-3 m
STUDY AREA
Transplantation and Deployment
Monitoring: Growth and Survival 1. Vernier
Calipers: linear extension from the apical tip to the base and width of widest point): 0.01 mm error margin) bimonthly
2. Planar Size: Monthly digital photos against a grid 3. Weighing of disks (Dec to Apr) Calculation of Daily Growth: final size – initial size X 30 days # days
