Coral restoration should prioritize shallower depths with faster currents in low-nutrient environments to promote a healthier microbial community.
Coral restoration should prioritize shallower depths with faster currents in low-nutrient environments to promote a healthier microbial community.
To help rare elkhorn corals survive in Florida waters, coral researchers should place them in shallow ocean locations with fast currents, scientists at the University of Miami NOAA Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies and the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science explained in a recent publication.
This new insight offers valuable guidance for coral restoration efforts, since elkhorn coral colonies are a key reef-building species throughout Florida and the Caribbean. They play a crucial role in providing structural support to reefs and habitat for many reef species due to their complex branch-like shape.
According to a NOAA assessment published in 2024, the Florida Coral Reef lost 75% of its restored elkhorn coral populations during the Florida marine heat wave in the summer of 2023. Decline of elkhorn corals adversely affects overall ecosystem health and often prompts replacement by other species, such as sponges, macroalgae and other non-reef-building organisms.
Read more at University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Photo Credit: James St. John via Wikimedia Commons
