Cozumel protects 800+ coral colonies with restoration success

Cozumel, Mexico — The island of Cozumel has implemented a strategic coral restoration scheme that has achieved the spawning of cultivated corals and the protection of more than 800 colonies of priority species.

This has consolidated Cozumel as a nerve center in global marine conservation, as the scientific and local community has achieved historic milestones in the recovery of Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis).

This effort is led by the Corales Vivos Cozumel Brigade, in coordination with the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) and under the framework of the Program for the Protection of Priority Ecosystems and Species (Prorest).

The brigade presented the results of its recent monitoring session in the Cozumel Reefs National Park, highlighting data that reinforces the reef’s resilience with the recording and protection of more than 800 colonies identified as Acropora palmata.

Additionally, the simultaneous spawning of three colonies was documented, a critical indicator of the system’s health and recovery capacity.

For the first time in the region, the spawning of a colony produced through assisted fragmentation (previously cultivated by humans) was recorded, validating the success of restoration techniques.

The project is not limited to isolated actions but is governed by the “Comprehensive Initiative for Ecological Restoration of Coral Reefs.”

This model, highlighted by researcher Blanca Quiroga García, is divided into six phases that range from biological viability to post-planting monitoring.

With this model, Cozumel not only protects a species but guarantees the ecosystem services such as protection against hurricanes and the sustenance of tourism that the reef provides to the entire region.

“These actions not only protect a species but ensure the future of the ecosystem services that the reef provides to our community,” she stated.