Photo Credit: NOAA; A healthy coral reef in the Florida Keys.
The Florida Reef Tract - the largest barrier reef in the continental United States - serves as critical habitat for commercial fisheries, and attracts millions of tourists each year, providing a tremendous source of income for Florida and its coastal communities. It is estimated that coral reef activities in Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties generate $6.4 billion in sales in general and income and support more than 70,000 jobs in the region each year. The Reef Tract is under immediate threat from a severe, unidentified coral disease. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has pledged to support a rescue mission to save what is left of Florida’s healthy coral populations.
An unprecedented coral tissue disease outbreak has been reported on more than half the reef-building coral species in Florida. Monitoring data from 2017 and 2018 show that many Florida coral species have sustained between 50% - 90% reduction in abundance, and the disease is still spreading. Scientists expect that in a very short time frame, one-third of the coral species found in Florida will become ecologically extinct, leaving nothing more than a few relic corals dotting the reef tract.
The stony coral tissue loss disease was first observed in 2014 in Miami-Dade County, then spread north and south. It now affects the reef tract from its most northern reaches to just beyond Key West. Once a coral is affected by this disease and begins to lose tissue, it is almost certain the entire colony will die within a matter of weeks or months. While scientists are still working to determine the exact cause(s) of the disease, the best available science suggests that bacteria play a key role and that there may be multiple disease agents at work simultaneously. The disease has been found to spread both by water circulation and through direct contact with infected corals.
But all is not lost and there is hope. In response to the disease crisis, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Florida Aquarium, National Park Service, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) have assembled the Florida Coral Rescue Team and developed a plan to save what is left of Florida’s coral stocks most affected by the disease. This Coral Rescue Plan includes establishing land-based nurseries in aquariums and at universities to house still healthy corals from the Florida Reef Tract. Because AZA members have long been recognized as leaders in coral husbandry and conservation, AZA was invited to partner with the Coral Rescue Project to help create these nurseries and care for the corals until a time when they can be returned to the reef. The goal is to house nearly 5,000 corals.
Since January 2019, AZA member facilities have been busy creating coral nurseries around the country, building awareness of the current situation, and spreading hope for the future. To date, 600 corals have found homes in AZA member facilities and more nurseries are coming on line for more corals coming from the Reef Tract every week. A huge thank you goes out the following member facilities currently holding corals:
- National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
- Adventure Aquarium
- Moody Gardens
- Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens
- The Florida Aquarium
- Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo
- Texas State Aquarium
- Jenkinson’s Aquarium
- Georgia Aquarium
This is an unprecedented effort for Florida’s coral reefs, which are already under extreme threat from rising water temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, and human impacts. The collaboration among Federal, State government agencies, universities, conservation organizations, and AZA member facilities is inspiring and is making a difference for the reefs of Florida. AZA facilities are helping lead the way in rescuing one of America’s natural treasures. By doing what we can now for the Florida Reef Tract corals, we are ensuring the survival of dozens of species into the future.
To read more about the Florida Reef Tract project, read our article in Connect Magazine: https://www.aza.org/connect-june-2019.