{"id":296143,"date":"2019-03-26T06:00:49","date_gmt":"2019-03-25T20:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=296143"},"modified":"2019-03-26T06:00:49","modified_gmt":"2019-03-25T20:00:49","slug":"marine-lab-relocates-corals-growing-in-guam-ramp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/marine-lab-relocates-corals-growing-in-guam-ramp\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine Lab relocates corals growing in Guam ramp"},"content":{"rendered":"
The coral transplanting team included individuals from the University of Guam Marine Lab, The Nature Conservancy, UnderWater World Guam, and the Division of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources with the Guam Department of Agriculture. Back row, from left, Brent Tibbatts, Rafael Calder\u00f3n, Colin Lock, Justin Berg, and Farron Taijeron. Front row, from left,\u00a0Ka\u2019ohi Kawahigashi, Coco Sartor, Sara Hamilton, Maylanie Balajadia, Mariel Cruz, Laurie Raymundo, and Claire Moreland-Ochoa. (University of Guam)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boaters now have fewer obstructions at the Merizo Pier boat ramp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The University of Guam Marine Laboratory was authorized by the Guam Department of Agriculture to relocate corals from the ramp to a nearby reef.<\/p>\n

Corals are protected by law, and a permit is required to move any coral in Guam\u2019s waters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that it is in the public\u2019s best interest to move these corals,\u201d said Celestino Aguon, chief of the Division of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources at the department. \u201cThe relocation will improve boating access and minimize damage to the corals from boats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Local residents have raised concerns about the corals growing on the ramp for some time, but repeated coral bleaching events made it risky to relocate them until now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTransplanting is stressful for corals,\u201d\u00a0said Laurie Raymundo, the Marine Lab\u2019s acting director.\u00a0\u201cConditions need to be right, and the corals need to be handled carefully to survive the move.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Raymundo is an expert on coral restoration and developed a plan to safely transplant the corals to their new location.\u00a0She led the effort last March 21, supported by Marine Lab students and personnel from partner organizations including The Nature Conservancy and UnderWater World Guam.<\/p>\n

The Marine Lab has been working with government agencies to improve local capacity for reef restoration and to test new methods such as coral propagation and transplanting. This project will build capacity for transplanting, while protecting these at-risk corals. (PR)<\/strong><\/p>\n