Coral Reef Conservation Program

Small transferred corals from Keys Marine Lab

December 2018, 90 corals were transferred from Keys Marine Lab (KML) in Marathon, FL to their new home at Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation (FLAQ) in Apollo Beach–in response to the stony coral tissue loss disease event currently affecting Florida's Coral Reef. This transfer frees up space at KML to allow for upcoming rescue collections.

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Juvenile colonies of boulder brain corals

Juvenile colonies of boulder brain corals, Colpophyllia natans, await outplanting in Miami, Florida. This effort represents the first outplanting of second generation rescue colonies, corals that spawned while in human care at the Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation from adult colonies rescued ahead of the stony coral tissue loss disease boundary in the Lower Keys, back to reefs along the Florida Reef Tract.

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Siderastrea siderea

Siderastrea siderea (massive starlet coral) colony at Grecian Rocks

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Transferring cut corls

A diver transfers boulder coral fragments to a container in preparation for nursery installation.

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Loaded Coral Tree

Staghorn coral being grown at our nursery site in the Florida Keys.

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Coral Tree Closeup

Researchers in the Florida Keys visited our staghorn coral nursery to conduct a quarterly inventory.

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7-Healthy Florida Coral Reef

Healthy Florida coral reefs have a high percentage of live hard coral cover and a low percentage of algal cover, along with abundant and varied fish and invertebrate organisms.