Ecological Impact of Coral Reef Restoration Through Transplantation Following Bleaching Events in Liukang Loe Island, Indonesia

Efforts to rehabilitate coral reefs affected by the 2016 bleaching event were undertaken in 2019 using transplantation techniques. These techniques involved attaching coral fragments to various types of intact dead coral substrates. This study aimed to analyze the ecological impacts of the 2019 rehabilitation efforts by examining changes in live coral and algae cover, as well as the species richness and abundance of benthic organisms and associated reef fish within the transplant area. Observations of live coral and algae cover were conducted using a 0.5 × 0.5 m² quadrat divided into 25 grids of 10 × 10 cm². Species and abundance data for benthic organisms and reef fish were collected through visual census techniques within a 2 × 2 m² area, recording the species and the number of individuals observed. These observations were conducted once during the five-month observation period. The study assessed the dynamics of live coral and algae cover, along with species richness and abundance of benthic organisms and reef fish, by comparing ecological parameters across several substrate types, including non-transplanted areas used as controls (damaged corals dominated by rubble and natural corals). Statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to evaluate these differences. The results indicated that the use of branching, massive, and tabulate dead coral substrates in transplantation generally had a positive impact, reflected by an increase in live coral cover and enhanced richness and abundance of reef fish. Notably, during July observations, massive dead coral substrates supported more species and a greater abundance of reef fish compared to the non-transplanted control (natural coral). Furthermore, the benthic community also benefited from the use of massive and tabulate substrates, as these attracted more benthic species and individuals to the transplant area compared to other substrate types.