Coral restoration efforts aim to preserve biodiversity and build self-sustaining, sexually reproducing coral populations. It is important to increase coral growth and survivorship, genotypic diversity, and enhance overall resilience. Historically, coral practitioners exclusively utilized corals from their own regions. Leveraging novel assisted migration, outplanting, and tracking methodologies, the largest data set of coral survivorship and productivity along Florida's Coral Reef was established and showed that it is possible for non-native genotypes to survive and thrive in new regions. In June 2020, five nursery programs, Nova Southeastern University, the University of Miami, Coral Restoration Foundation, Fish and Wildlife Commission, and MOTE Marine Laboratory, participated in the first region-wide coral genotype swap. This involved the exchange of >90 genotypes of Acropora cervicornis originating from dozens of reef locations between Broward County and the Florida Keys. While growth rates, measured 6-7 months later varied significantly, the study proved that these corals can survive large-scale relocation and thrive in varying environments. The data collected in this unprecedented large-scale assisted migration study can be incorporated into future regional restoration frameworks.
