“Pollution-Resistant Corals Thrive in Cozumel Restoration”

A successful restoration of corals, which have shown a high resistance to pollution, has been carried out in the south of Cozumel island. The pollution is due to the close proximity of a cruise pier and the constant influx of visitors to the area. The restoration was conducted by the civil association, Cozumel Coral Reef Restoration, who have been involved in coral restoration activities since 2013.

The group initially set up 16 platforms in an area known as Villablanca, located at Kilometer 3.5 on the boardwalk, directly opposite the Sand Dollar store. This is where they now operate a laboratory, working with at least 10 different species of coral.

Germán Méndez del Castillo, president of the association, explained that the project was a citizen initiative. It was launched by independent service providers who were concerned about the damage to various areas of the reef and the impact of tourism. They noticed existing platforms at the site and saw an opportunity to use them to start the first coral farm on the island. They used a technique of fragmentation and planting with ecological epoxy material to try and rescue some of the damaged coral species.

They began with corals such as brain and elkhorn, using fragmentation. These corals have shown resilience to diseases such as White Coral Syndrome and Coral Bleaching. Méndez del Castillo suggests this may be due to their growth in adverse conditions, different from those present in the Cozumel Reefs National Park (PNAC).

Before the pandemic, the group installed 16 platforms in the farm area, where they continued their coral restoration practices. They have now added gamete reproduction to their efforts, thanks to the installation of a lab at Sand Dollar.

The association hopes to achieve reproduction and growth of corals on at least 29 of the 30 platforms already installed. The corals' growth, which does not exceed five centimeters a year, is considered a success given their resistance and their development in the area.