Perspectives on working underwater with black coral nubbins (Cnidaria: Antipatharia): The case of Cirrhipathes anguina (Dana, 1846)

peer reviewedIn order to test the feasibility of transplantation of the whip black coral species Cirrhipathes anguina (Dana, 1846) from Madagascar, transplants were installed on cultivation tables in two sites (the North Pass and the Grande Vasque) characterized by distinct environmental conditions. Following transplantation, the transplants were followed for short-term (20 days) healing capacities and medium-term (200 days) mortality and growth rates. Results show a successful transplantation in both sites with 0% mortality (except in the form of missing fragments) and a certain growth over 200 days. Maximum growth rates were 3.4 cm/month and 2.0 cm/month in the North Pass and in the Grande Vasque, respectively. In addition, mean time to total healing was delayed in the Grande Vasque compared to the transplants in the North Pass (10 days). Differences between sites are likely to be related to differences in environmental parameters. Altogether, the promising results obtained with the easy protocol used in this study encourage the use of black coral transplants in further in situ experiments and restoration projects. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.Conservation Biology of Black coral