Impacts of plastic-free materials on coral-associated bacterial communities during reef restoration.

ABSTRACT: Coral propagation and out-planting based restoration approaches are increasingly being applied to assist natural recovery of coral reefs. However, many restoration methods rely on plastic zip-ties to secure coral material which is potentially problematic for the marine environment. Plastic-free biodegradable alternatives may however pose unique risks to coral-associated bacterial communities integral to coral health. Therefore, to identify whether biodegradable materials differentially impact coral-associated bacterial communities we examined Acropora millepora coral-associated bacterial communities during propagation in two experiments on the Great Barrier Reef. Coral fragments were secured to coral nurseries with conventional plastic, metal, or biodegradable (polyester and polycaprolacto

SUBMITTER: Strudwick P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10866064 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature