|What: After assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma on Florida’s coral reefs, The Florida Aquarium is helping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other organizations repair the damage and help the reef recover. The Aquarium will be providing triage support including repositioning overturned, centuries old boulder corals; reattaching broken and fragmented pieces of coral; and removing debris.
When: The team will be traveling to the Florida Keys from Nov. 12-18,
Where: The Florida Aquarium, 701 Channelside Drive, Tampa, Florida.
For more information on the assessment and recovery initiative:
After assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Irma on Florida’s coral reefs, The Florida Aquarium is helping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other organizations repair the damage and help the reef recover. The Aquarium will be by providing triage support including repositioning overturned, centuries old boulder corals; reattaching broken and fragmented pieces of coral; and removing debris.
Coral reefs cover two percent of the ocean floor but are home to 25 percent of marine life in the ocean. They provide critical habitat for other species such as sea turtles, dolphins and sharks, as well as help protect coastlines from storms.
“Healthy coral reefs are adapted to withstand hurricanes. In fact, they protect shorelines by dissipating wave energy, but the reef ecosystem in the Florida Keys has been heavily compromised and is found in small patches compared to what once existed. So when a huge hurricane like Irma hits, damage to corals can be devastating. They now need our help to recover. A healthy, living and thriving reef means a healthy, living and thriving ocean,” said Margo McKnight Senior VP of Conservation, Research and Husbandry at The Florida Aquarium.
Last month, assessments of the Florida coral reef tract following hurricane Irma showed significant impact on natural coral reefs and manmade ocean-based coral nurseries throughout the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, as well as the broader Caribbean.
Large hurricanes can cause extensive damage on land, as well as under the sea, especially for corals that cannot leave their home to flee for safety.
Initial assessments of more than 50 sites revealed extensive shifting of sand and heavy sediment accumulation on the corals and sponges, which can smother and prevent them from getting enough sunlight, as well as some structural damage to individual corals and the reef itself. A full report is expected later this fall.
To help assist in the recovery of corals on the continental United States’ only barrier coral reef, The Florida Aquarium is helping NOAA, federal and state governmental agencies, academic institutions and other nonprofit organizations perform emergency recovery/restoration and assist with the stabilization and recovery of corals that sustained damage following the hurricane.
“During the assessment trips, it was very eye-opening to see these hundred-year-old corals snapped in two, with broken pieces sprawled all throughout the ocean floor. The assessment process identified damaged areas of the coral reef tract that could benefit from triage and restoration, so this next trip is to visit some of those sites and help stabilize them,” said Keri O’Neil, Coral Nursery Manager at The Florida Aquarium.
The Florida reef tract, much of which lies within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Biscayne Bay National Park, contains seven coral species designated as threatened.
The Florida Aquarium staff will leave to travel to the Keys to help repair certain coral sites on Sunday, Nov. 12. Dive and repair days are Nov. 13 – 17, and the team will return home on Nov. 18. The Florida Aquarium will send updates with photos and videos during the assessment days, as possible.
This massive initiative involves several branches of NOAA, National Park Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Nova Southeastern University, Coral Restoration Foundation, The Nature Conservancy-Florida and The Florida Aquarium, with funding provided through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and administered through the Coral Restoration Foundation.