Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Ocean Engineering
Department
Ocean Engineering
First Advisor
Stephen Licht
Abstract
The research described herein covers the development of a tool station for performing in-situ propagation of corals using a work class ROV. This includes a system for manipulating coral fragments and affixing them to a cement base plug. To validate this tool station, testing was performed both in the lab as well as at depth in the Gulf of Mexico. As restoration of shallow-water corals has grown in popularity, many techniques have been developed for propagation. However, it is difficult or inappropriate to directly apply these techniques to deep-sea corals. While some forms of diving are capable of approaching the depths associated with mesophotic reefs, they entail considerable risk and cost. Current efforts to propagate corals at depths too great for divers involve using an ROV to take a large specimen from depth to the surface where it can then be fragmented and propagated by hand. This increases the total dive time necessary for each fragment and subjects the corals to considerable stress. The Coral Carousel represents an effort to enable a variety of deep-sea assets to perform coral propagation in-situ.
Recommended Citation
Bales, Gregory, "THE CORAL CAROUSEL: A DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IN-SITU PROPAGATION OF DEEP-SEA CORALS" (2025). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2640.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2640