Coral Reef Research, Conservation, and Monitoring: Completed Projects

Since 2015, DEP has supported numerous partners from federal, state, and local governments, universities, and nongovernmental organizations on priority research, conservation, and monitoring projects. These projects have primarily supported research, including studies on the stony coral tissue loss disease outbreak and response, water quality impacts to coral reefs, ecosystem restoration, coral and herbivore propagation, and social science. 

Completed Project Reports

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Response Coordination Meetings

July 11-13, 2018

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program held a workshop on July 11-13, 2018, in Key Largo to create a comprehensive response plan to address the coral disease outbreak. The workshop focused on developing collaborative partnerships between resource managers and scientists to identify potential pathogens, document the outbreak, understand contributing factors, and aggressively pursue interventions. We are quickly compiling the workshop outcomes to create a framework for adaptive decision-making about intervention actions, resource capacity and funding needs, regulatory issues and community engagement.

Nov. 6-8, 2017

DEP staff collaborated with staff from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to lead a three-day coral disease meeting to discuss the next phase of coral disease response efforts. Made possible by funds appropriated by the Florida Legislature and Governor Scott, the meeting was attended by approximately 40 participants, including leading coral disease scientists and animal health experts. To review the summaries and objectives from this meeting, please see below and click on the following links:

Intervention Methodologies Workshop: Nov. 6, 2017

Priority Sampling Plan Workshop: Nov. 7-8, 2017

July 24-25, 2017

DEP  staff partnered with coral disease experts Greta Aeby from the University of Hawaii and Blake Ushijima from Oregon State University to host a two-day coral disease meeting. Approximately 125 participants representing a variety of agencies, organizations, universities and the South Florida community attended. The meeting included information on coral disease identification, ecology and investigation techniques. To review the meeting material and recordings, please follow the links below:

1. Coral Disease: Drivers and Management
2. Coral Ecology and Lesion Identification*
3. Investigation of Disease Ecology in Florida*
4. Coral Microbes: Friends or Foes

For 508-Compliant versions, please email Coral@FloridaDEP.gov.

Regional Coordination Calls

To improve communication about the status of the coral disease outbreak and coordination among reef managers, scientists and interested members of the community regarding these response efforts, DEP initiated coordination phone calls in summer 2015. Although initially focused on mainland southeast Florida where the disease outbreak originated, these coordination calls were re-established during summer 2016 to include the entire Florida Reef Tract and are currently ongoing. Follow the links below to review a meeting summary from any of these calls:

Regional Southeast Florida Calls:

• Aug. 28, 2015
• Sept. 29, 2015
• Nov. 10, 2015

Florida Reef Tract-Wide Calls:

• Meeting #1: July 7, 2016
• Meeting #2: Aug. 19, 2016
• Meeting #3: Sept. 29, 2016
• Meeting #4: Oct. 28, 2016
• Meeting #5: Jan. 18, 2017
• Meeting #6: March 1, 2017
• Meeting #7: April 21, 2017
• Meeting #8: June 9, 2017
• Meeting #9: July 27, 2017
• Meeting #10: Jan. 11, 2018
• Meeting #11: April 26, 2018
• Meeting #12: Sept. 6, 2018
• Meeting #13: Dec. 6, 2018
• Meeting #14: March 21, 2019