The RRAP Coral Aquaculture and Deployment R&D Subprogram aims to deliver the means to reliably breed corals in captivity at low cost, at a medium scale using sexual and asexual methods.
The ability to effectively mass-produce corals to high standards will underpin the success of medium- to large-scale reef restoration initiatives and interventions and could help conserve wild populations.
The Coral Aquaculture and Deployment Subprogram aims to optimise methods to rear broodstock in aquaculture facilities and improve the survival rate of corals released into the wild.
This subprogram develops the capability for medium-scale aquaculture for a core set of 12 coral species. The research enables the supply of propagated corals to support small- and medium-scale field trials in later parts of the RRAP R&D Program.
The scale of coral production required to meet the objectives of RRAP is still uncertain but likely to be of medium to large scale (10 million –100 million corals per year).
This subprogram aims to deliver a comprehensive understanding of the drivers of growth and survival of young propagated corals in natural populations. It produces the knowledge to support selective breeding and treatments for adaptation in the Enhanced Corals and Treatments and the Moving Corals Subprograms, as well as key data for ecological and evolutionary modelling by the RRAP Modelling and Decision Support Subprogram.
Over four years, the Coral Aquaculture and Deployment Subprogram is undertaking an integrated R&D program to develop knowledge and methods to:
This project focuses on developing methodology and technology that optimises coral propagation in an aquaculture setting, as well as enhancing coral larvae settlement survival. The results will inform the design of settlement devices that maximise post-deployment survival across coral species and environments.
This project focuses on developing automated and high-throughput technologies and workflows that allow for mass production, survival and growth of corals grown in an aquaculture setting.
This project will lead, coordinate, and manage the integrated field program, engagement training and data management for all projects under both the Enhanced Corals and Treatments and Coral Aquaculture and Deployment subprograms.
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Randall, C. J., Speaks, J. E., Lager, C., Hagedorn, M., Llewellyn, L., Pulak, R., Thompson, J., Bay, L. K., Mead, D., Heyward, A. J., & Negri, A. P. (2020). Rapid counting and spectral sorting of live coral larvae using large-particle flow cytometry. Scientific Reports, 10, Article 12919. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69491-0
Randall, C. J., Negri, A. P., Quigley, K. M., Foster, T., Ricardo, G. F., Webster, N. S., Bay, L. K., Harrison, P. L., Babcock, R. C., & Heyward, A. J. (2020). Sexual production of corals for reef restoration in the Anthropocene. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 635, 203–232. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13206
Randall, C. J., Giuliano, C., Heyward, A. J., & Negri, A. P. (2021). Enhancing coral survival on deployment devices with microrefugia. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 662263. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.662263
Roepke, L. K., Brefeld, D., Soltmann, U., Randall, C. J., Negri, A. P., & Kunzmann, A. (2022). Antifouling coatings can reduce algal growth while preserving coral settlement. Scientific Reports, 12, Article 15935. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19997-6
Roepke, L. K., Brefeld, D., Soltmann, U., Randall, C. J., Negri, A. P., & Kunzmann, A. (2022). Applying behavioral studies to the ecotoxicology of corals: A case study on Acropora millepora. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, Article 1002924. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1002924
Briggs, N.D., Page, C.A., Giuliano, C. et al. Dissecting coral recovery: bleaching reduces reproductive output in Acropora millepora. Coral Reefs 43, 557–569 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02483-y
Abdul Wahab, M.A., Ferguson, S., Snekkevik, V.K. et al. Hierarchical settlement behaviours of coral larvae to common coralline algae. Sci Rep 13, 5795 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-32676-4
Randall, C.J., Giuliano, C., Stephenson, B. et al. Larval precompetency and settlement behaviour in 25 Indo-Pacific coral species. Commun Biol 7, 142 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05824-3
Ramsby, B.D., Emonnot, F., Flores, F. et al. Low light intensity increased survival of coral spat in aquaculture. Coral Reefs 43, 627–640 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02489-6
Jeong, S. Y., Gabrielson, P. W., Hughey, J. R., Hoey, A. S., Cho, T. O., Abdul Wahab, M. A., & Diaz-Pulido, G. (2023). New branched Porolithon species (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and Lord Howe Island. Journal of Phycology, 59(5), 1025–1041. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13387
Pratchett, M. S., Baird, A. H., & Pratchett, D. J. (2022). Settlement cue selectivity by larvae of the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish. Biology Letters, 18(11), 20220399. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0399
Randall, C. J., Giuliano, C., Allen, K., Bickel, A., Miller, M., & Negri, A. P. (2022). Site mediates performance in a coral‐seeding trial. Restoration Ecology, 30(6), e13745. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13745
Severati, A., Nordborg, M., Heyward, A., Abdul Wahab, M., Brunner, C. A., Montalvo-Proaño, J., & Negri, A. P. (2024). The AutoSpawner system – Automated ex situ spawning and fertilisation of corals for reef restoration. Journal of Environmental Management, 366, 121886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121886
Whitman, T.N., Hoogenboom, M.O., Negri, A.P. et al. Coral-seeding devices with fish-exclusion features reduce mortality on the Great Barrier Reef. Sci Rep 14, 13332 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64294-z
Fong, J., Ramsby, B.D., Flores, F. et al. Effects of material type and surface roughness of settlement tiles on macroalgal colonisation and early coral recruitment success. Coral Reefs 43, 1083–1096 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02526-4
Neil, R.C., Heyward, A., Bourne, D.G. et al. Let the fish do the cropping: identifying fish grazers to improve coral aquaculture. Coral Reefs 44, 749–758 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02612-7
Curnock, M. I., Arya, R., Chamberland, E., Chartrand, K., Edmondson, J., Fisher, E. E., Forster, R., Lockie, S., Loder, J., & Nembhard, D. (2024). Reef visitors’ observation of assisted coral recovery devices in situ reduces concern about their use. PLOS ONE, 19(11), e0313345. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313345
Whitman, T. N., Jurriaans, S., Lefevre, C., Sims, C. A., Radford, B., Puotinen, M., Hoogenboom, M. O., Negri, A. P., & Randall, C. J. (2025). Seeded Acropora digitifera corals survive best on wave-exposed reefs with grazing from small fishes. Restoration Ecology, 1–12. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70016
Neil, R. C., Barton, J. A., Dougan, W., Dworjanyn, S., Heyward, A., Mos, B., Bourne, D. G., & Humphrey, C. (2024). Size matters: Microherbivores make a big impact in coral aquaculture. Aquaculture, 581, 740402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.740402
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Townsville QLD. Pp 41.
Associate Professor David Bourne
AIMS/JCU
Dr Lone Hoj
AIMS
Dr Saskia Jurriaans
AIMS/JCU
Dr Andrew Negri
AIMS
Dr David Abrego
SCU
Professor Leonie Barner
QUT
Craig Humphrey
AIMS
Dr Andrew Heyward
AIMS
Dr Elsa Dos Santos Antunes
JCU
Dr Pirjo Haikola
RMIT
Dr Ateek Rehman
Postdoc, JCU
Dr Paul O'Brien
Postdoc, UQ
Dr Lalehvash Mogahddam
Postdoc, QUT
