Eric Borneman is the author of Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History, and is co-author for the book, A Practical Guide to Corals. He has authored and published many papers on marine subjects in various scientific and trade publications and journals internationally. He is the host of The Coral Forum at Reef Central, is a contributor to many websites internationally, has spoken at scientific and aquarium related conferences, events, and societies, and has taught classes on coral biology, coral propagation, and other reef issues. He co-founded the Marine and Reef Aquarium Society of Houston and is currently involved with coral disease, and aquarium trade sustainability issues worldwide.

Eric has been maintaining reef aquaria for twelve years, and has been diving and photographing coral reefs of the world for 25 years. His current aquaria include a linked multi-habitat system of over 500 gallons that includes a seagrass habitat, an intertidal habitat and a large coral reef that run without any filtration devices.

ABSTRACT:

CORAL CULTURE FOR DISEASE RESEARCH AND RESTORATION

Development of model coral species is now part of the National Research Plan developed for coral disease and health by the Coral Disease and Health Consortium. All aspects of coral disease and health have been hampered by the lack of an established coral laboratory model species (analogous to “lab rats), coral cell lines, and standardized sources of algal and bacterial cultures that are routinely available for research. There is a critical need to develop models and provide the infrastructure to maintain these living stock collections. Providing well-characterized and documented experimental organisms to domestic and international researchers will enable rapid advances through the use of modern biomedical techniques to investigate coral heath and disease and by focusing research on fundamental biological concepts broadly applicable across the taxon.

Over the past two years, I have acted as the chair of the committee to develop the facilities and coral “lab rats” by establishing clonal coral lines. With the facilities provided by a large coral farm in Houston, and the aid of sponsoring countries and organizations, a living stock collection of over 1,000 stony corals, representing nearly every genus and most species from the Caribbean, and capable of providing over 10,000 research sized fragments, has become a reality. Additionally, Indo-Pacific species with well-established research potential, including Pocillopora damicornis, Stylophora pistillata, and various Acropora species, are also in culture for this effort. The first clones will be available to the disease research community within the year.

The use of cultured corals for other work, including restoration efforts, has also begun. In 2004, I became part of a novel pilot study involving the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the University of Florida’s Center for Tropical Aquaculture to compare growth rates and mortality between land-based and ocean-based culture. A limited number of fragments will be used in a restoration project to determine the feasibility of using cultured corals in future restoration efforts. Part of this project will also include the development of standardized health certificates prior to reintroduction that will have far-reaching implications that include the possibility of using certifications for the aquarium trade, as well as within the general coral reef research community.

These ground-breaking projects are novel in terms of using developments from the aquarium hobby, and expanding aquarium-based advances to the scientific and conservation-oriented communities.