MIAMI — Scientists from the University of Miami are trying to help solve Florida's coral crisis by taking coral from Honduras and hoping to breed them with coral in the state.
Scientists took coral from a site in Tela Bay, which is off the northern coast of the mainland, and will study them since that specific coral is resilient against coral bleaching.
Professor Andrew Baker and three graduate students went and collected hundreds of DNA samples from 10 species of corals around the Bay. They will study the genetic factors and attributes that contribute to the coral withstanding unusually warm water temperatures in that region that usually leads to bleaching, according to a news article from the university.
The team also collected live fragments of elkhorn coral and 21 small brain coral colonies to breed them with coral in Florida to try to increase their heat tolerance.
“These species were targeted for their potential heat-tolerance and disease resistance. The elkhorn corals were particularly striking and offer a glimpse of what Florida’s coral reefs used to look like before most of these corals were lost due to bleaching and disease,” Baker said in the story. “We plan to study these corals to understand why they are so resilient, and also try to breed these corals with Florida’s surviving elkhorn corals to produce new baby corals that might be able to survive Florida’s warmer future.”
Last summer, the high ocean temperatures contributed to a historic bleaching event. The hot water resulted in nearly 100% bleaching along portions of the reef, causing corals to turn white.
Coral is important to the ecosystem because it's the first line of defense against erosion and flooding from hurricanes and storms. It also nurtures diversity and life in the ocean. It also contributes to the economy through recreation, tourism and seafood.
After the coral colonies made a 15-hour journey from the reef by sea, land and air, they were transported to the university's Rosenstiel School's coral hatchery facility where Baker and his team unpacked them and placed them into seawater tanks. Some of the elkhorn colonies were transported to a conservation and research center in Apollo Beach that has spawned elkhorn coral for years, according to the university.
Once the corals spawn, additional approvals will be needed from state and federal authorities to plant them onto Florida's reefs.
“We are hopeful that this innovative approach will pave the way for more resilient coral reefs in Florida and the Caribbean,” Baker said. “The collaborative efforts and dedication of our team, research partners, and supporters have brought us to this crucial point. Now we just have to rely on these new parents to do their thing this summer and deliver babies that we can raise in large numbers and prepare them for a new life in Florida.”
In the Tampa Bay area, The Florida Aquarium created a new Coral Conservation and Research Center that will focus on saving coral by spawning more than a dozen species. The new space houses and nurtures coral and supports their conservation program that aims to reduce environmental damage to reefs. The aquarium also helped rescue 5,000 corals in the Florida Keys last summer.
