The Fragment of Hope, a coral reef restoration program in Belize, has seen one of its reef nurseries spawning in 2012 that was planted back in 2010. There were samples taken and examined by Dr. Esther Peters has shown three different staghorn genotypes were identified that were sourced from out-plan sites in Whipray, Tarpon and Lazy Cayes. As Peters noted, these were clade A3 with some D1a that “were full of mature oocytes and spermatozoa in multiple spermaries per polyp.”
This is significant showing that these restoration sites are taking off and quite possibly meeting greater expectations. The Fragment of Hope team will be back during the spawning season this year to try and capture both the staghorn and elkhorn spawns. We are hoping they capture this and of course, share with us.
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