To combat the dramatic decline of Florida's coral reefs, a specialized taskforce is planting over 1,000 juvenile elkhorn corals, a resilient species deeply affected by record ocean temperatures. The initiative, organized by marine biologists from the University of South Florida and the Florida Aquarium, aims to restore coral health that has plummeted by 90% over the last four decades. The young corals, raised in a controlled environment, will be strategically planted across seven offshore sites in the coming months, with ongoing monitoring planned to assess their growth and survival rates, enhancing future restoration strategies.
"The corals are acclimatizing in temperature-regulated seawater beds in Long Key. They will be distributed to research partners... during the next two months."
"Project managers say not all will survive, but some juveniles will thrive, and the knowledge gleaned will help inform future recovery efforts."
Collection
[
|
...
]