Coral Reef Conservation Program

Communications and Outreach Team

The Communications and Outreach Team is responsible for producing communications products and pieces, working with other teams to review products, and developing and coordinating unified messaging among partners. The Communications and Outreach Team aims to enhance community understanding, participation, and local stewardship in a coordinated response to the ongoing coral disease outbreak through education and training to improve capacity to participate in monitoring and management programs.

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Restoration Team

The Restoration Team is responsible for developing action plans associated with identified research priorities and coordinating outplanting and monitoring of corals susceptible to stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD). The overall goal is to inform coral restoration practices under the current and likely endemic SCTLD outbreak.

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Coral Rescue Team

The Coral Rescue Team is responsible for the development of a reef-tract wide coral collection and housing plan to ensure an appropriate number of individuals from affected species are held in captivity for future reintroduction to the wild. The Coral Rescue Team is also responsible for coordinating the stepwise implementation of this plan, including soliciting partners and collaborators for these efforts.

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Caribbean Cooperation Team

The Caribbean Cooperation Team is responsible for facilitating communication between Florida response partners and people in other coral reef jurisdictions in the Caribbean. The Caribbean Cooperation Team is responsible for tracking reports of disease signs outside of Florida, disseminating information and response tools, properly disseminating any new information (such as new intervention techniques and research findings) from other jurisdictions, and facilitating learning exchanges.

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Coral Disease Response: Completed Projects

Since 2015, DEP and numerous partners from federal, state and local governments, universities, nongovernmental organizations and the South Florida community have been communicating regularly and working together on a multifaceted response effort.