A considerable effort to plant corals in the area off the coast of Key West, Florida, has been announced.
The large-scale drive is a collaboration between NOAA and its partners. The vast effort aims to plant a monumental 60,000 coral fragments over three years and aims to restore seven reefs within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Commenting on the large scale effort, acting NOAA Administrator Ben Friedman said:
“Outplanting at this unprecedented scale is one of many immediate actions needed to address the rapid decline in our treasured coral reefs. The Florida Keys has become a world leader in coral restoration with new techniques for addressing threats and accelerating coral growth, thanks to an unprecedented collaboration between NOAA, our partners, and a community of stewards.”
Coral Restoration Foundation CEO Scott Winters added:
“Coral Restoration Foundation has already begun a massive expansion of our Coral Tree Nursery in Key West to support the restoration of Eastern Dry Rocks. Since January 2021, we have now replenished the site with more than 1,085 genetically diverse staghorn and elkhorn corals and are well on our way to hitting our target of 7,350 by the end of the year. Knowing that we are not doing this alone, that this work is part of a much larger, coordinated effort, gives us a renewed sense of hope for the future of the Florida Keys.”
For more info about the effort, go to noaa.gov.
(Image credit: Coral Restoration Foundation)