CORDAP - CoralAdapt project

Quantifying and Operationalizing Genetic Adaptation for Successful Coral Restoration

Funding Agency: The Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform

Program Leader: Maria Vanessa B. Rodriguez, Ph.D.

Project Duration: March 01, 2024 to February 28, 2027

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Project Objectives:

1. Narrowing the uncertainty of additive genetic variance and h2 for multiple traits and examining genetic correlation structure among traits.

• To derive estimates of additive genetic variance and h2 across multiple traits we will carry out egg-sperm crosses between coral colonies in a breeding design that maximizes both genetic and genotypic diversity.

• Estimating within-population variability of heat tolerance for multiple taxa and environmental conditions.

2. To operationalize adaptive potential for restoration practitioners.

• Filling empirical ecological knowledge gaps to extend the capability of models.

• Determining optimal restoration strategies with and without adaptation.

• Supporting restoration decisions based on model outputs.