This project started after the stranding of PEMEX tanker Lázaro Cárdenas II on a reef area near Isla Espíritu Santo, B.C.S., destroying  close to one hectare of coral. After an initial stage to diagnose damage, determine urgent cleaning measures, and support PROFEPA in restoring the reef area, we have finally reached the objective of this project, which is the monitoring stage  of the restored coral reef system.

The project pursues to determine the recovery trend of the impacted area after its restoration in a temporal horizon of 5 years. For this purpose we will use two approaches: structural and functional.

The structural approach intends to determine if there is a recovery trend of the coral area.  For this purpose, seasonal monitoring estimates the integrity of the artificial coral reef (modules) installed in the impacted area,  assessing survival and growth of the cemented coral in the modules, and coral recruiting rate in the impacted area.

On the other hand, the functional approach centers on fauna and flora associated to the restored area. For this purpose we characterized composition, density, and seasonal variation of the macrofauna associated to the impacted area, specifically mollusks (winkle and clam), polychaeta (polychaete worms), crustaceans (crab and shrimp) echinoderms (star fish and sea urchin), and fish, as well as alga richness and cover.

To estimate the changes that occur in the restored area as objectively as possible, it is necessary to compare the results in witness, adjacent, close, and far areas. This is why the activities are performed in sites located both in the bay of La Paz and in Loreto.

In general the results obtained up-to-date are positive in structural terms because the modules have maintained their integrity; close to 70% of the cemented coral has survived  and grown at similar rates to other areas, and we have detected a high recruiting rate of corals from the genera Pocillopora and Porites.

Functionally, there is a differential use in the restored and witness areas by different groups of organisms, due to their dispersion speed, as well as to habitat requirements which are specific and are seasonally modulated by the environmental dynamics of each period.