HUSBANDRY · CONTROLLED DOCUMENT
AE-SOP-0205 — Reef Conservatory Husbandry & Coral Outplanting
To govern the propagation, grow-out, and outplanting of coral from the Reef Conservatory to restoration sites, so that fragments are returned to the wild only when both the coral and the site can support them. The procedure guarantees that nursery colonies are fragmented without setting back the donor, that outplant stock is thermally hardened against bleaching, and that no outplant goes to a site failing its reef-cover and water-quality criteria — because a fragment cemented to a dying reef is a fragment wasted.
ActiveHusbandryRev C
Doc Control AE-SOP-0205Revision CEffective 2090-04-18Next Review 2091-04-18Owner Reef Conservatory LeadApprover Marine ScienceStatus ActiveClass RESTRICTED // TIDEWATER-EYES-ONLY
1. Purpose
To govern the propagation, grow-out, and outplanting of coral from the Reef Conservatory to restoration sites, so that fragments are returned to the wild only when both the coral and the site can support them. The procedure guarantees that nursery colonies are fragmented without setting back the donor, that outplant stock is thermally hardened against bleaching, and that no outplant goes to a site failing its reef-cover and water-quality criteria — because a fragment cemented to a dying reef is a fragment wasted.
2. Scope
All coral propagation in the Conservatory and outplanting to restoration sites.
- In scope: Fragment propagation, nursery grow-out, thermal hardening, site readiness, and outplant attachment and monitoring.
- Out of scope: Accession and quarantine of incoming coral fragments, which follows AE-SOP-0101; field site selection beyond reef restoration, which follows AE-SOP-0420.
3. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Fragment | A cut piece of a donor colony grown out on a nursery plug or tree before outplanting. |
| Thermal Hardening | Controlled exposure to elevated temperature that raises a fragment's bleaching resistance before release. |
| Outplant | A nursery-grown fragment attached to a restoration substrate in the field. |
| Site Readiness | The reef-cover, temperature, and water-quality criteria a site must meet before it receives outplants. |
| Donor Recovery | The regrowth of a fragmented colony, which must be confirmed before it is harvested again. |
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|
| Reef Conservatory Lead (Owner) | Owns propagation and outplanting; signs the site-readiness release for each outplant batch. |
| Coral Technician | Cuts and mounts fragments, runs the nursery, and executes thermal hardening. |
| Habitat Survey Team | Verifies destination-site reef cover, temperature, and water quality against criteria. |
| NEREID | Tracks nursery growth and bleaching index and flags any site exceeding the thermal-stress limit before outplanting. |
5. Outplant Readiness Criteria
| Factor | Threshold | Verified By | Block on Fail |
|---|
| Fragment size at outplant | ≥ 4 cm, fully healed | Coral Technician | Extend nursery |
| Thermal hardening | Held to hardening protocol | Coral Technician | Hold batch |
| Site live reef cover | ≥ 15 % and stable | Survey Team | No outplant |
| Site bleaching / thermal stress | Bleaching index low, ≤ 30 °C | Survey Team | Defer site |
Note. All factors must pass; an unhealed fragment is never outplanted, and a site under active thermal stress is deferred rather than seeded — outplanting into a bleaching event wastes the fragment.
6. Materials & Equipment
- Coral nursery trees and plug racks with controlled flow and light
- Fragmentation station with sterilised cutting tools
- Thermal-hardening conditioning system
- Site-survey kit for reef cover, temperature, and water quality
- Marine cement and outplant attachment hardware
- Outplant tagging and monitoring array
7. Procedure
7.1 Propagation
- Cut fragments from donor colonies without setting back donor recovery.
- Mount and grow out fragments on nursery trees to outplant size.
- Confirm donor recovery before any colony is harvested again.
7.2 Hardening & Site Check
- Run outplant stock through thermal hardening before release.
- Verify destination-site reef cover, temperature, and water quality against criteria.
- Defer any site under active thermal stress; never outplant into a bleaching event.
7.3 Outplant & Monitor
- Attach hardened fragments to the restoration substrate and tag the batch.
- Record outplant position, count, and donor lineage.
- Monitor outplant survival and feed it back into nursery planning.
8. Records
- Nursery propagation and donor-recovery log (retained 5 years)
- Thermal-hardening batch record
- Site-readiness survey per outplant batch
- Outplant position, count, and lineage record
- Outplant survival monitoring
9. References
10. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|
| A | 2088-03-27 | Reef Conservatory Lead | Initial issue; nursery propagation and donor-recovery rules established. |
| B | 2089-07-30 | Reef Conservatory Lead | Added thermal hardening and site reef-cover criteria. |
| C | 2090-04-18 | Reef Conservatory Lead | NEREID bleaching-index tracking and outplant survival feedback formalised. |