Abstract: Family Acroporidae (seven coral species) were studied in the northern Red Sea (Ras Muhammad
National Park, South Sinai) to know their suitability for transplantation and to determine the fragments growth
rate and to know the space that colonies occupied in the structure. Coral fragments were collected and
transplanted onto a Fixed modular tray nursery made from PVC connected to rectangular frame-tables. Survival
and growth rates were assessed; more than 58% of the fragments survived after 14 months. The overall growth
rate was 0.940 ± 0.049 mm/month. The Acroporidae showed a significant positive relationship between growth
rate and colony size. Some species showed more than duplicate in ecological volume after 14 months of
transplantation.
Keywords: Coral species, Transplantation, Ecological volume, Ras Mohammed, Red Sea, Egypt
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