Page 301 - The Virgin Islands

MOTE CORAL RESEARCH AND RESTORATION coral fragments in nurseries in the wild using
genetic strains that we believe most likely to survive
Coral reef restoration is a priority of Mote’s world- changing ocean conditions.
class research focused on the conservation and
sustainable use of our ocean’s natural resources. As Our coral nurseries are restoring the reef ecosystem and
the southernmost marine laboratory in the continental helping to rebuild a healthy and plentiful population of
U.S., Mote’s Tropical Research Laboratory, located in wild corals that will be able to reproduce on their own.
Summerland Key, is uniquely positioned to support
the combined efforts of Florida and our nation for the RESULTS
study and restoration of coral reef ecosystems.
Over the last five years, our research and restoration
FLORIDA’S NATURAL TREASURE programs have yielded amazing results:

Florida’s coral reef is the third largest on the planet • The rate of survival for corals we’ve restored to
and the foundation of one of the world’s most reefs exceeds 95%;
important marine ecosystems.
• These restored corals have now begun to
The reef system stretches about 350 miles from the reproduce on their own.
east coast of Florida in Martin County through the
Florida Keys and out to the Dry Tortugas. More than Another exciting breakthrough has been the
65% of Florida’s coral reef tract lies within the Florida development of a new coral “re-skinning” process
Keys National Marine Sanctuary that surrounds the that allows us to restore large areas of reef-building
Florida Keys chain of islands corals in just one to two years — instead of the
hundreds or thousands of years it might take
Sadly, the last 40 years have not been kind to our nature to build a reef on its own. The cutting-edge
coral reefs and we’ve witnessed losses of more than technology of re-skinning allows small fragments
90% of our indigenous coral coverage with some of brain, boulder and star coral to rapidly fuse back
species losing more than 97% of their populations. together to form new coral head over the
dead skeleton.
RESTORATION
This gives us hope that full-scale restoration is
Not content to watch corals decline, Mote scientists possible in our lifetime. Yet now, more than ever
developed cutting-edge processes to bring them before, we find ourselves in need of new facilities
back. Today, we are growing thousands of staghorn to continue our work.

More than 95% survival after one year

INITIAL – MAY 2013 JUNE 2013 OCTOBER 2013 DECEMBER 2013 APRIL 2014

To learn how you can become a part of Oceans of Opportunity: The Campaign for Mote Marine Laboratory
and support the organization’s work in the Florida Keys, please contact Campaign Director Jennifer Vigne

at 941-388-4441, ext. 393, or jvigne@mote.org