ECO Tidbits By Caron Schwartz
Coral scientists at the Florida Aquarium were successful spawning threatened Atlantic pillar coral in August. They are now collaborating with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and local partners on a bold strategy to restore and preserve seven coral reef sites in the Florida Keys.
The project, Mission: Iconic Reefs, calls for restoring nearly three million square feet of the Florida Reef Tract, about the size of 52 football fields, and is estimated to cost $100 million over the first decade — one of the largest investments ever undertaken in coral restoration. Over the next year and beyond, NOAA will support this effort and work to secure additional public and private funds.
Since the 1970s, hurricanes, heat-induced coral bleaching, cold snaps, and disease events, as well as acute impacts such as pollution, ship groundings, prop scarring, and misused boat anchors, have reduced coral coverage in the Florida Keys by 90 percent. Coral cover is a measure of the proportion of reef surface covered by live stony coral rather than sponges, algae, or other organisms that make up the reef system. In general, 25 percent coral cover is considered necessary to support a healthy ecosystem and protect reef structure.
“This restoration project is essential to the survival of our Florida Reef Tract and could not be accomplished without the collaboration of the state’s coral partners,” said Dr. Amber Whittle, the Florida Aquarium director of conservation. Coral scientists at the aquarium will continue to pinpoint the optimal environmental cues to trigger spawning among corals more than once a year. These corals will be used in the Mission: Iconic Reefs project.
To learn more, visit noaa.gov/iconic-reefs, follow us on social media at @floridaaquarium and visit flaquarium.org.