University of Miami Rosenstiel School conducts rescue on corals off Miami coast

Video footage of corals affected by unprecedented heat available for download. Additional opportunity for media coverage on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at the Aquaculture and Hatchery facility.

WHO: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

WHAT: With the recent rising ocean temperatures, mass bleaching and mortality events observed on the coral reefs and in the coral nurseries of the Florida Keys, coral scientists at the Rosenstiel School have launched a large-scale coral reconnaissance and recovery mission to minimize the potential loss from the anticipated heat impacts. 

Teams of scientists led by the Lirman Benthic Ecology Lab will be migrating significant populations of nursery-grown corals from offshore nurseries in Miami to land-based facilities at the Rosenstiel School’s Aquaculture and Experimental Hatchery facility (see map below). Scientists are hoping to prevent the potential for complete loss if the ongoing marine heat wave and coral bleaching event intensifies in Miami-Dade County.  

WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. The bulk of the staghorn and elkhorn corals, approximately 300 15-30 cm colonies, is slated to come to the hatchery’s beach area. Media is encouraged to call Diana Udel at 786-256-4446 for updates.

WHERE: Aquaculture and Experimental Hatchery: 65 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami Florida 33149 (See map below). Park outside the facility gate on the grass.

Additional opportunity: Limited spaces are available for media to dive* (or snorkel) with the science team on Friday, Aug. 4, departing Diver’s Paradise dive shop located at Crandon Marina, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Contact Diana Udel if you want to attend.

*Proof of certification required.

WHY: In addition to these preventative measures, the team is expanding offshore coral monitoring activities and tapping into their citizen science community in hopes of better understanding and responding to this grim event. This means monitoring additional coral reef sites for bleaching and disease with the support of trained citizen scientists to gather real-time information on coral bleaching status and impacts. The scientists will utilize this unprecedented event as an opportunity for research. Rosenstiel School scientists will establish a new restoration research site off Miami to identify and better understand the heat tolerance of certain coral species and genotypes during bleaching events like this. On Friday, Aug. 4, they will be out-planting 75-100 staghorn corals consisting of 25 different genotypes for monitoring over the next two months. 

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: 

Media is invited to film the off-loading of containers holding corals from beach area on the south side of the property (see map). The corals will be disinfected for bacteria and parasites and evaluated for overall health, then placed into holding tanks. On Friday, Aug. 4, media will be able to join the scientists in the field.