Peter Schorsch
As record-breaking ocean temperatures continue to threaten coral, the Florida Aquarium has relocated 20 elkhorn colonies from the Florida Keys to its breeding program in Apollo Beach.
Elkhorn coral is one of the most important corals in the Caribbean, creating with other important coral species dense thickets within coral reefs that provide important habitat for reef animals and fish.
Elkhorn was already in trouble, with a severe disease in the 1980s reducing its population to just 3% of its former abundance, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA notes the greatest threat to elkhorn coral currently is ocean warming, which causes it to release algae that live in the species’ tissue and provide food to the coral.
Restoration groups donated corals to minimize their loss and contribute to the next generation of elkhorn coral born at the Florida Aquarium.
For the first time, the coral conservation program will work to produce more heat-tolerant offspring as part of the DARPA Reefense project in partnership with the University of Miami and others.
The two-week spawning season that began August 1 with the full moon provides hope in the efforts to protect and restore the threatened species.
