Abstract

Following the grounding of the M/V Fortuna Reefer on Mona Island in 1997, a multi-agency emergency restoration reattached over 1800 Acropora palmata fragments. Since shortly after the grounding, we have monitored the restoration using coral reattachment, survival, and growth and the recovery of fish assemblages as measures of success. Although we have no surveys from before the grounding, we have neighboring undisturbed areas for comparison and we can analyze temporal changes within the site. In early surveys reef fish assemblages were significantly different from adjacent control sites. With almost a decade of monitoring complete, we are starting to see increases in species diversity and increases in juvenile haemulids, species known to be habitat selective. Additional monitoring will determine when the conditions can be considered “normative” however experimental approaches might be required to improve restoration of fish habitat and encourage the coral-fish interactions that can contribute to the effectiveness of coral reef restoration.

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