Oral presentation: Marilla Lippert

The Caribbean has experienced dramatic decreases in coral cover, causing severe reef degradation and loss of ecosystem services. As a result, coral outplanting efforts – where corals are fragmented, grown in a nursery, and deployed on reefs - have become a widespread approach for attempting to restore reefs and their functionality. While coral outplanting can be an effective measure to restore specific coral species, there is limited knowledge about whether outplanted reefs can support fish communities comparable to those on natural reefs and the timeframes that might be required for fish community recovery. This study examines patches of the endangered staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) in Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, comparing reef fish communities at wild staghorn patches and restored patches ranging from 0–12 years old. Staghorn coral is one of the most commonly restored coral species - it is a key, reef-building coral with a high growth rate whose loss has led to declines in reef function, fish habitat, and coastal protection. We found that fish communities on newly restored staghorn patches do not resemble those on wild patches, while fish communities at the oldest restored patches are indistinguishable from wild patches, suggesting coral outplanting is recovering reef fish communities. This reflected a trend for older restored patches to support fish biomass and richness levels higher than that found on younger patches, and comparable to that found on wild patches. These results have important implications for restoration strategies, conservation goals, and the ability of coral restoration to result in broader community recovery.