Kish – IRNA – The Kish Island Environmental Department said: “In the implementation of the plan to restore destroyed habitats, 1,300 coral species have already been propagated, and they are ready to be transferred to natural and artificial beds.”
Maryam Mohammadi stated in an interview with IRNA on Saturday: Coral propagation and cuttings have been started for the past 2 years with the supervision and financial support of the Kish Free Zone Organization’s Environmental Department, by an environmental activist and diving instructor who has completed international courses related to coral protection and restoration, and with the support of the Kish Diving Center.
She added: “The above plan has entered the implementation phase after a period of testing and securing a coral bank using coral breeding, and currently, more than 1,300 staghorn coral cuttings are ready to be transferred to natural beds in this bank.”
The head of the Environmental Department of the Kish Island Free Zone Organization noted: The initial source of these coral cuttings was three pieces of staghorn coral about 35 centimeters long, which had almost turned white. Now, with the bank created from this source, significant steps can be taken to restore the habitats of Kish Island.
She added: The cutting work began in the late summer of 2019 using nursery stands, and the growth rate of the cuttings was such that, on average, a coral branch with a diameter of about one centimeter and a length of five to seven centimeters reached a diameter of about eight centimeters and a length of 15 to 17 centimeters after seven months.
Mohammadi noted: Currently, with the increase in stands and related structures and the increase in the number of cuttings, the propagated corals are being prepared for transfer to natural habitats that are at risk of destruction or artificial habitats, and will lead to the creation of new diving sites and suitable habitats to increase aquatic life stocks.
She added: “The coral ecosystem is considered the most important and productive marine ecosystem on Kish Island, which houses countless aquatic animals in different stages of life.”
The head of the Kish Free Zone Organization’s Environmental Department said: “Climate change and warming are among their main challenges to survival, and cuttings can be an effective solution for adapting to these changes.”
Also, one of the most important pillars of the tourism industry on Kish Island is coral ecosystems. In addition to creating water clarity and the beauty of the beaches, the presence of corals around the island is the most important factor in attracting tourists, and the lives of many creatures such as fish and sea turtles depend on them.
Source: IRNA
