Biology subjects

Rova, L. H.

Publications and source records attributed to Rova, L. H..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Cylindrical, pylon-like structures with helix recesses enhance coral larval recruitment

The decline of coral reefs requires scalable restoration strategies to enhance natural recovery processes such as coral larval recruitment. Previous research has shown that conical structures with helix recesses substantially increase settlement and early survival. However, the applicability of this microhabitat design with helix recesses in broader engineering contexts has yet to be assessed. Hereby, we tested (1) whether helix recesses can be transferred from conical dome geometries to space-efficient cylindrical pylon-like geometries, and (2) whether they can be implemented with different materials. In a field experiment in K[a]neohe Bay, Hawaii, coral recruitment was monitored over six months on cylindrical and conical structures incorporating an optimized helix profile. Cylindrical modules supported recruitment densities similar to those on conical designs, demonstrating a successful transfer of the microhabitat design to compact geometries. Planar recruit densities were [~]300 times higher across all structures, compared to those observed on nearby natural reefs. These results show that the helix recess design is functionally robust across both module shapes and materials. Cylindrical structures with integrated helix recesses, therefore, represent a practical, low-cost design element that can be incorporated in coastal engineering and restoration projects to enhance coral settlement. Graphical abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=80 SRC="FIGDIR/small/680805v2_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (28K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@126b7cborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@ec7c4corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1d49a78org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@e97189_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

ecology↗

bioRxiv2024

Optimized recess design in artificial structures dramatically enhances coral settlement and survival

The worldwide decline of coral reefs, driven by climate change and local stressors, demands new, scalable restoration approaches. Coral larvae offer significant potential for reef recovery, as a single coral colony can release millions of offspring, with almost all larvae dying before finding a suitable habitat. Building upon an iterative design process, incorporating a gradient of sizes and angles based on larval settlement preferences observed in nature, we developed and tested seven 3D-printed settlement module designs, proposed to enhance coral larvae habitat. We studied the settlement and survival of coral larvae on the settlement modules integrating these designs and adjacent reef structures in K[a]neohe Bay over one year. Helix recesses dramatically outperformed other structural features, increasing settlement by [~]80-fold and post-settlement survival over a year by 20-50-fold compared to control modules. In contrast to natural reef substrates, settlement on modules with helix recesses increased by [~]70-fold. We identified the recess dimensions and light levels preferred as settlement habitat. In a parallel tank experiment, we explored the impacts of hydrodynamics on the settlement and survival of Montipora capitata larvae on modules with helix recesses. We found that settlement was more pronounced under high-flow conditions, suggesting a crucial role of micro-scale hydrodynamics in entraining settling corals. These findings highlight the potential of helix recesses to significantly improve early coral recruitment, a critical bottleneck in reef restoration. By integrating these structures into artificial reefs and coastal infrastructure, our approach offers an innovative, scalable, and cost-effective solution to enhance reef resilience and accelerate ecosystem recovery in a changing ocean.

ecology↗