May 1, 2015 Dr. Kurt Grove University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant College Program P.O. Box 9011 UPR-RUM Mayaguez, P.R. 00681-9011 Subject:
Proposal entitled “Slowly-evolving Ramicrusta textilis (Peyssonneliaceae, Rhodophyta) invasions – Is it a driver of net shifts in Caribbean coral reef ecosystem functions?”
Dear Dr. Grove: Greetings! Enclosed, please find the proposal entitled “Slowly-evolving Ramicrusta textilis (Peyssonneliaceae, Rhodophyta) invasions – Is it a driver of net shifts in Caribbean coral reef ecosystem functions?”. It is being submitted on behalf of 501(c)3 NGO Sociedad Ambiente Marino (SAM), in collaboration with Dr. Héctor J. Ruíz-Torres (HJR ReefScaping), and Mr. Samuel E. Suleimán-Ramos, President of SAM. We are also collaborating with the Center for Applied Tropical Ecology and Conservation (CATEC) of the University of Puerto Rico. This project is aimed at addressing five novel management-oriented questions: 1) What is the impact of Ramicrusta textilis invasion of threatened Staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, biotopes on colony level dynamics (i.e.,coral skeletal extension rate, bioerosion rate, tissue regeneration ability)?; 2) What is the impact of coral tissue lesions and R. textilis invasion on A. cervicornis demographic dynamics and population projections?; 3) What is the impact of R. textilis invasion on coral reef ecosystem-level processes (coral recruitment, shifting fish community structure)?; 4) What is R. textilis turnover rate and how it can impact algal diversity and productivity?; and 5) How is micro-scale water quality impacted under R. textilis canopy? This approach will have multiple implications regarding the long-term fate of A. cervicornis wild populations and the long-term success of coral reef rehabilitation across the region. Further, it will generate a variety of multi-disciplinary data sets and modeling tools for coral reef managers and decision-makers which should foster the development of new areas of research within the broad discipline of coral-algal interactions.
If there is any question regarding our submission, please, do not hesitate to contact me at coral_giac@yahoo.com or via 787-449-0566 Also, you may contact Mr. Suleimán via samuel.suleiman@gmail.com or through 939-642-7264. Many thanks in advance. Sincerely,
Edwin A. Hernández-Delgado, Ph.D. Chief Scientist Sociedad Ambiente Marino PO Box 22158 San Juan, PR 00931-2158