Coral reefs are some of the oldest and most diverse ecosystems on our
planet, yet throughout their range coral reefs are declining precipitously, mainly as the
consequence of human activities. In situ conservation practices, such as habitat preservation, are an important way to protect coral reefs. However, reefs now face global
threats in addition to local impacts. It is therefore critical that ex situ conservation activities are incorporated into conservation practices for coral reefs. Many coral species
reproduce sexually during a limited yearly breeding season. If the resulting larvae are
cultured, their husbandry can be very time consuming: time that is often taken away
from larval research. Three different types of flow-through larval rearing systems were
designed and tested during breeding seasons of the elkhorn coral Acropora palmata, the
mushroom coral Fungia scutaria, and the cauliflower coral Pocillopora meandrina. The
flow-through systems were tested against static bowl rearing, and no difference was
observed in the survival of the larvae in two of the species: P 0.12 for A. palmata
and P 0.99 for F. scutaria. These results suggested that these chambers may result in
significant savings of limited research time during a coral spawning event. However,
P. meandrinalarval survival was better in bowls than in the fl ow-through chamber (P
0.03). Rearing the maximum number of larvae possible with minimal maintenance will
enhance opportunities for larval research, settlement, and growth. This is especially important for species that are now threatened, for which time and information are critical
during the breeding season