Assisted recovery of tissue loss in massive corals <i>Orbicella faveolata</i> : an alternative conservation tool for restoring damaged colonies

Abstract Introduction Coral reefs, vital for marine ecosystems and human well‐being, face drastic decline due to climate change effects. In the Caribbean, global disturbances and regional water pollution exacerbate conditions, eliciting disease outbreaks that, in synergy with coral bleaching and hurricanes, cause significant damage to key reef‐building species. Objective Assess the efficiency of assisted recovery by transplanting micro‐fragments from healthy Orbicella faveolata colonies onto affected ones as a potential conservation strategy to rehabilitate coral reefs. Over 2 years at the Mexican Caribbean reef, we assessed the recovery performance of micro‐fragments utilizing circular and irregular shapes, comparing donor fragments from healthy colonies to self‐donation fragments from damaged colonies. Results After 23 months, survivorship reached 63%, with irregular fragments demonstrating higher survival (83%), and most mortality attributed to fragment losses and macroalgae competition. The results indicated monthly growth differences between irregular and circular fragments. Seasonal variability occurred, with lower growth in dry months and higher growth in warmer conditions. Circular fragments showed a total growth of 19.8–23.3 mm, 1145.2 mm 2 tissue area, and 55 new polyps. Meanwhile, irregular fragments displayed a total growth of 29.8–33.1 mm, 2583.8 mm 2 tissue area, and 148 new polyps over the experimental time. Conclusions This study highlights the optimal performance of coral fragments with irregular shapes used for accelerated tissue recovery in damaged O. faveolata coral colonies. The method proved effective in promoting coral growth and survival, offering a promising avenue for recovery following coral disease outbreaks and bleaching events, with potential applications for reef‐scale rehabilitation.