Coral restoration can drive rapid increases in reef accretion potential.

ABSTRACT: Coral-reef degradation is disrupting the balance between reef accretion and erosion and threatening the persistence of essential coral-reef habitats. In south Florida, most reefs are already net eroding, and without intervention, valuable ecosystem services may be lost. Coral restoration holds the potential to reverse those trends; however, typical restoration monitoring does not adequately capture key geo-ecological functions. We addressed this knowledge gap using carbonate budgets and Structure-from-Motion models to evaluate the impact of coral restoration on reef-accretion potential and structural complexity at eight offshore and three inshore coral reefs in the Lower Florida Keys. Within 2-6 years following outplanting, restoration of rapidly growing A. cervicornis populations increase

SUBMITTER: Toth LT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12322247 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature