ular way to asexually propagate corals. Fragments can be as
small as single polyps (often referred to as nubbins). Many
step-by-step protocols for fragmentation are available in
(grey) literature (e.g. Borneman 2001; Borneman & Lowrie
2001; Calfo 2001; Shafiret al. 2006a; Leewiset al. 2009),
and it must be noted that the choice for the most appropriate method is species specific. Osingaet al.(2012) briefly
outlined a two-step procedure to optimize fragmentation
methods for a particular species. The first step is to determine the optimal sample size for comparative experiments,
hereby also assessing growth rates and growth kinetics,
whereas the second step comprises the actual optimization,
that is, studies on fragment size, fragment orientation, fragmentation materials and fragmentation procedures. The
procedure is outlined in detail in the CORALZOO Book of
Protocols edited by Leewiset al.(2009)