Scientist's Work

During my research I have come across a technique widely known as ‘coral farming’ which is used to reinstall coral to damaged reefs. Scientist Dr David Vaughan is a programme manager for coral restoration at Mote and has been working for years on bringing life back to the Florida Keys where reefs have been threatened by rising temperatures and water quality. Vaughan takes small pieces of varies species of coral and farms them in pools that are set to ideal water conditions for coral to thrive. He grows them with the help of his team who monitor and determine what the water conditions will be like 100 years from now and they replant the species that show promise.

Another scientist working to save local reefs is the Founder and President of Coral Restoration Foundation, Ken Nedimyer. The difference between Vaughan and Nedimyer is that Nedimyer has noticed a huge loss in a specific species called staghorn coral. Unlike Vaughan’s work, these corals are farmed in the ocean so the conditions of their surroundings are not as heavily monitored, but they thrive never the less. Nedimyer then takes pieces of the grown coral and used a putty to secure them to the rock where coral is bare.

Now although coral farming does not address the threats to coral, it does provide a proven method for restoring reefs that are already damaged. Many non-profit organisations such as Mote and Coral Restoration Foundation are working to try and fix as best they can what we have caused. I think we all need to ask ourselves, how much longer are we willing to watch and not change?

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Coral Vita, http://www.coralvita.co/coral-farming/

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. https://mote.org/research/program/coral-reef-restoration

Coral Restoration Foundation. "Meet Our Team". Coral Restoration Foundation, http://coralrestoration.org/about/meet-the-team/

Jonathan Bird's Blue World. "Florida Coral Farming | JONATHAN BIRD'S BLUE WORLD". Youtube, 5 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md_l6vK13cQ

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. "Coral Reef Restoration." Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, https://mote.org/research/program/coral-reef-restoration