Advancing coral reef research and resilience in Southeast Florida

Phase 3. This project applied multiple complementary approaches to help understand, reduce, and mitigate coral reef declines in southeast Florida (SE FL). Continued monitoring of coral disease (SCTLD) incidence and prevalence in the northern portion of the Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area was coupled with ongoing disease intervention experiments, coral population genetics to inform population management and coral restoration, and experimental coral salinity thresholds tests. Long-term tracking demonstrated that diseased corals experimentally treated with antibiotics were approximately 4.5 times more likely to survive than corals not treated. After 4 years of monitoring, only 1 colony remains SCTLD active. The researchers’ genetic research indicates that coral reefs deeper than 90 feet (mesophotic) may provide critical refuges for impacted shallow populations, and that including mesophotic populations in coral genetic assessments is important for understanding coral biodiversity.