Advancing Coral Reef Research and Resilience in Southeast Florida: Phase 5

This project applied multiple approaches to help understand, reduce, and mitigate coral reef declines in Florida. Continued monitoring of coral disease incidence and prevalence in the northern portion of Kristin Jacobs Coral Aquatic Preserve (KJCAP) was coupled with population genetics to inform population management and coral restoration, coral salinity stress experiments, and experimental restoration efforts. 

For June 2024 to May 2025 stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) prevalence remained low in Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward counties. We hypothesize fewer susceptible host corals rather than changing environmental conditions is driving this trend. 

We discovered four cryptic lineages of Stephanocoenia intersepta throughout Florida, suggesting that restoration could be improved by identifying and planning for cryptic lineage diversity. Xestospongia muta exhibited less distinct lineage zonation across Florida. For both S. intersepta and X.muta, populations in Florida are distinct and welldifferentiated from those in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. 

In addition to direct impacts of hyposalinity on coral mortality, intermediate salinity stress (25 Practical Salinity Unit) significantly reduced corals’ ability to heal from tissue damage, suggesting that recovery of damaged corals following storms/injuries can be improved by reducing freshwater discharges, and that coral restoration outplanting should avoid periods of <25 PSU. 

Expanded coral restoration at St. Lucie Reef with transplants from Osborne tire reef resulted in 89% survival at 1 year. For two species, larger transplant colonies had a significantly greater survival probability than smaller colonies. 

We resample Restoration Team Trials corals after ~ 2 years and again following the 2023 bleaching event to assess potential changes in their associated algal endosymbiont types. 

Through DEP support, we have produced 22 peer-reviewed publications to date with 4 more in review. DEP support has also led to 3 PhDs and 9 master’s degrees, several of whom now serve state and federal agencies.