TAMPA, Fla. — Threatened coral grown in The Florida Aquarium was sent to the Coral Restoration Foundation in Key Largo after almost getting fully decimated by disease in the wild, according to a news release.
The coral called Atlantic pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) was delivered to their new home in an ocean-based nursery after being grown using lab-inducing techniques.
“We have been waiting for four years to finally be able to return a few pillar coral offspring to the ocean," Keri O’Neil, program director and senior scientist for The Florida Aquarium’s Coral Conservation Program, said.
"These five corals are the first new genotypes of pillar coral to enter the Florida population in decades. We came very close to losing this species in Florida, but through collaboration and world-class aquarium care, we are now able to take the first steps toward rebuilding the population for the future.”
Scientists said the species hasn't successfully produced offspring on its own in Florida in decades and was "functionally extinct." This new technique will prevent the local extinction of pillar coral in Florida, according to the news release.
“We are thrilled to welcome these unique pillar coral offspring into our ocean-based nursery, enhancing our genetic diversity, a crucial aspect of restoration work," Phanor Montoya Maya, restoration program manager at Coral Restoration Foundation, said in a statement.
"With our expertise, we're ready to provide these pillar corals with the specialized care they need to thrive. This kind of collaborative work is critical if we are to be successful in repopulating Florida's Coral Reef with the species that once thrived here. Together, we're charting a hopeful path for Florida's pillar coral”.
