Development of a propagation method for various species of coralligenous plants, from the technical design phase through to post-restoration monitoring.
Rights reserved: Mathis Bizzari - Ecocean
The OP Coral project aims to develop methods for collecting and propagating cuttings from various species of coralligenous plants in order to propose an ecological restoration method for these sensitive and fragile species.
This project consisted of several critical phases: the construction of a turnkey facility designed for the rearing and propagation of the target species, and the underwater collection and restocking phases. To this end, Ecocean partnered with Andromède Océanologie for the collection and restocking phases, in order to benefit from their expertise and know-how in deep-sea diving. The breeding farm and associated protocols were developed by Ecocean’s experts.
Step 1
Designing the livestock farm
Rights reserved: Antony Fortin - Ecocean
Step 2
Sampling of target species during diving
Rights reserved: Andromede Oceanologie
Step 3
Rearing
Rights reserved: Ecocean
Step 4
Propagating species from cuttings
Rights reserved: Antony Fortin - Ecocean
Step 5
Restocking
Rights reserved: Andromede Oceanologie
The breeding facility is now fully operational and can be adapted to meet specific needs. The program can also include closely related species. In total, approximately 100 specimens from 17 species (green algae, calcareous algae, sponges, bryozoans, gorgonians, and zoanthids) were collected from the wild, reared, and propagated.
4 species with high potential for propagation and cultivation were selected for restocking: red coral (Corallium rubrum), red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata), yellow gorgonian (Eunicella cavolinii), and anemone (Parazoanthus axinaellae). After two years of cultivation, 111 individuals belonging to the four species were reintroduced in October 2023. One year after reintroduction, survival rates ranged from 40% to 70% (depending on the site and species).
The areas for improvement mainly concern the method of introducing the species into the natural habitat and the quality of the restocking area (which must not be subjected to further pressure). Further monitoring is still needed.
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