A Happy Accident!  The Reef Institute Sees Coral Spawning

5/25/2021

The Reef Institute
West Palm Beach, FL

Executive Director Leneita Fix & Marine Veterinarian Dr. Charles Gregory

The future of coral reefs is tied to the future of the millions of people around the U.S. and the world. Healthy coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse, culturally significant, and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth.  Approximately 500 million people worldwide depend upon reefs for food and their livelihoods, and 30 million are almost totally dependent upon reefs.  Coral reefs are important to all of us and they are in trouble due to global stressors, including climate change and acidifying oceans, and local stressors, including unsustainable fishing practices and land-based sources of pollution. Healthy and resilient coral reefs safeguard against extreme weather, shoreline erosion, and coastal flooding. Coral reefs can dissipate up to 97% of wave energy, which is especially important during extreme weather events. 

The Florida Reef Tract also known as Florida’s Coral Reef is approximately 365 miles long, running from Dry Tortugas National Park off the coast of Key West, north to Martin County. As the only barrier reef along the coast of the continental US it creates not only a habitat for literally millions of animals, but a wall of protection from waves and storm surge.  Florida’s Coral Reefs are vital to our economy providing thousands of jobs, fishing and billions of dollars in tourism dollars.  As Florida’s coral reefs provide more than $355 million/year in flood protection benefits to buildings, protecting coral is to protect Florida’s coastline.  The Reef Institute is on a mission of coral conservation through education, research, and restoration. The importance of protecting our coast, along with educating the next generation on how to best care for the fragile Florida ecosystems is vital.

Unfortunately, Florida’s Coral Reef is currently experiencing a widespread and lethal coral disease outbreak of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, which has had a devastating effect. It is estimated by NOAA that coral coverage is down to 2% of its former glory. Dozens of partners from federal, state, and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities, and members of the community are collaborating to investigate and respond as part of a disease response network of teams.  This is how the Florida Coral Rescue project was born, led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and NOAA Fisheries.   

The goal of this project has been to preserve the genetic diversity of coral species most susceptible to the disease through gene banking. Various Association of Zoos and Aquarium facilities, museums, universities, and non-profits have been chosen to gene bank or hold corals rescued from areas ahead of the disease boundary and surviving corals from within areas that the disease has already affected. 

In August 2020, the Reef Institute officially became a long-term holding facility within the Florida Coral Rescue Project. Currently there are over 20 other institutions holding at risk Florida corals that have been gene banked and safeguarded for future generations. The Reef Institute is honored to be part of this prestigious group of institutions that includes the Florida Coral Rescue Center, recently highlighted as the largest land-based holding facility in the country.  The Reef Institute is one of a very small number of institutions that is not a zoo, aquarium, museum, or university participating in the program.  Additionally, we were among the first organizations to be holding corals intentionally rescued from within the disease zone. 

Currently the Reef Institute has more than 90 colonies representing 7 species of disease-susceptible coral under their care. Keeping coral happy, healthy, and growing inside involves complex aquarium systems and experienced scientists, aquarists, and veterinarians watching over their care.  Only recently have professionals begun to understand the complexity of coral husbandry to a level where coral can not only grow under human care, but can even be naturally spawned and reproduced. It has been extremely rare for an organization to see coral spawn in a land based facility. To date there are only three facilities in the US that have intentionally spawned Caribbean corals.  Even among these three they are still working to perfect lighting, water chemistry and many other parameters to encourage corals to spawn in an artificial setting, as opposed to naturally-lit areas where corals follow the signals of the moon.

It is believed by leaders in the Florida Coral Rescue Project that coral propagation needs to be scaled up and in the most efficient manner possible. When propagation is conducted in land-based facilities there are more ways to control the outcome and this is vital.  Land-based spawning removes the complications of collecting eggs and sperm from corals in the wild, such as inclimate weather, logistical constraints, and potentially long distances between  potential parents.  In advanced land based aquarium systems healthy, well cared for corals do not even recognize they are no longer in their home in the ocean.

Due to the wonderful care of our Marine Veterinarian, Dr. Charles Gregory and his team of interns,  we are thrilled to announce 200+ baby corals have settled all over one of our holding systems amongst other corals, rocks, and even on the glass!  Our golfball coral, Favia fragum, has recently spawned without special prompting from aquarists and, because the babies are so small, we didn’t actually immediately see the settled little corals. While we did not expect this spawning event it is an important scientific achievement.  

The Reef Institute is currently the only Coral Rescue facility caring for Favia fragum While this coral is not the most vital reef builder among Florida’s corals, it  plays a crucial role in helping to maintain the complex diversity of coral reef communities.  Holding 62 colonies (so far) helps the Florida Coral Rescue team to be assured that this species has the opportunity to be preserved no matter what happens in the wild.  Golfball coral is a small, but increasingly rare species of stony brain coral that, as its name suggests, looks like a golf ball. 

Corals around the world use cues from the environment, such as the full moon, to know when to reproduce. While some corals spawn annually, Favia fragum falls into a category of corals that “brood.”  In a few species of brooding coral, this type of reproduction can happen monthly. Having lived in our facility since August, the Reef Institute believes it is the attention to detail of its artificial environment that has supported this species of coral to  continue their natural spawning cycle without missing a beat.

It was quite a surprise to realize our beloved Favia had spawned!  We have found babies that have settled alongside other corals, on our aquarium glass, and on rocks and tiles along the system.  As the Reef Institute has begun to care for these juveniles and measure growth, it is believed there could have been several spawning events as some are significantly smaller than others.

Keeping track of these babies as they develop and grow is a serious task, but we are working diligently to accommodate them with a diversity of plankton to eat and optimal water and light conditions for growth.  Each coral is currently under the watchful eye of Dr. Gregory,David Gross, our lead coral scientist and our two lead interns Brooke Campbell and Kaleigh Fix.   When the corals are large enough they will be moved onto their own tiles, and then utilized for restoration.

Funded by a generous grant from the Friends of Florida’s Reefs, The Reef Institute has built a gamete collector and coral larval settlement area for intentional spawning, are preparing to intentionally spawn other species in their care.  Their goal is to move from happy accidents into intentional ways to repopulate Florida’s Coral Reef.

With so much of Florida’s coral reefs failing, the Reef Institute knows that no one organization will be able to do everything necessary to save it all.  This is why each member involved in the Florida Coral Rescue Project is equally vital.  It is our honor to be a part of this elite group of organizations working together to save our coral.  It is also why the Reef Institute will continue to take a multifaceted approach to restoration of our reefs.

Stay tuned for more exciting news in the future! 

Executive Director, Leneita Fix

Marine Veterinarian, Dr. Charles Gregory

Special thanks to James Ferrara for generously donating his time and talent to photographing and capturing our rescued coral. The Reef Institute is thankful for you!