Scientists from the University of Florida have made a large step towards restoring sea urchin populations. Sea urchins help reefs in that they play a critical role in maintaining the balance between coral and algae. For thousands of years, long-spined sea urchins helped keep reefs intact.
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NOAA and partners are beginning a three-year effort to outplant more than 60,000 fragments of nursery-raised coral at Eastern Dry Rocks Sanctuary Preservation Area off the coast of Key West, Florida. This is the first large-scale endeavor dedicated to Mission: Iconic Reefs, the unprecedented effort to restore seven coral reefs within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Eastern Dry Rocks contains a
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Mote Marine Laboratory has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to seed 130 acres of Florida reefs with resilient varieties that can better withstand disease and climate change. Mote’s grant is one of 35 grants totaling $28.9 million awarded by the Coastal Resilience Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and NOAA, with support from Shell Oil and TransRe. Funds were
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