Florida Keys Coral Practitioners Prepared to Beat the Heat

After a devastating and hot 2023 summer, the Florida Keys coral restoration community made sure to be prepped for this year’s heat. 

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) is home to the largest coral barrier reef in the continental United States. In recent years, however, the Florida Reef Tract has suffered a “death of 1,000 cuts” – from water quality issues, pollution and disease. In 2023, a historic marine heat wave caused Florida’s corals to bleach weeks early. 

^{NOAA’s heat tracking shows 2024 heat to be near the same levels as 2023. NOAA}

Bleaching doesn’t always lead to coral death, but it can if conditions don’t improve quickly. “The coral is essentially starving until temperatures lower and symbionts recolonize” within coral tissues, a FKNMS Mission: Iconic Reefs (MIR) fact sheet said. The fact sheet was emailed to EcoWatch during the 2023 heat crisis. Additionally, heat stress makes corals more susceptible to diseases. 

Last year, to beat the heat, coral restoration practitioners took emergency measures and moved what corals they could from their in situ nurseries to land-based holding tanks or deeper water. Many corals were lost, but many were saved, too. Each genetic strain is critical to restoration efforts, so each piece matters. 

“Last year we were caught a bit by surprise and had to react quickly,” said MIR co-lead Jennifer Moore, “but we learned a great deal and are much more prepared this year.”

^{In June 2024, KML hosted a preparation and orientation workshop for local practitioners. Keys Marine Laboratory}

Florida Institute of Oceanography’s Keys Marine Laboratory (KML) served as a land-based triage station in 2023 for thousands of corals coming in bleached and hot from the scorched ocean. Hosted by the University of South Florida, the scientific research field station held over 5,000 corals in their 60 raceways during the heat crisis. In October and November, once temperatures had dropped and the corals had been checked for general wellness, most of these were returned to the ocean.

This year, as temperatures climb and alarms sound for corals around the world, KML has led the effort to prepare proactively within FKNMS. Using emergency funding, they bolstered the quality of their facilities with additional pop-up shade tents, backup pumps, circulation pumps, spare tank chillers, a new emergency generator, and remote alarms for their seawater systems. This will allow any corals that need to be housed to receive more consistent care at KML. The lab also purchased coral food and cleaning supplies in advance – to be prepared for anything.

KML also hosted a preparedness workshop on site to review seawater systems capabilities and limitations in emergent situations. 

Senior biological scientist and seawater systems manager Emily Becker told EcoWatch, “Restoration partners are much more prepared for this summer. Everyone experienced a lot last summer, and they are ready to hit the ground running in summer 2024, should the need arise.”

^{Bleached corals recovered in KML’s tanks in 2023. Florida Institute of Oceanography}

As KML bolsters land-based support, FKNMS also took action on last year’s lessons. MIR partner Reef Renewal USA found that their temporary deep water nurseries kept twice as many corals alive compared to inshore, shallow areas. Therefore, the government agency took emergency steps to facilitate moving corals deeper, should the need arise again this year. Three emergency sites throughout the Florida Keys were proposed and approved.

Moore said, “Our program is simultaneously a restoration project and a research project. From the beginning, our intention was to create new knowledge and put it into practice in the field.”

Funding to install the anchors for these new deepwater nurseries came from the Marine Preservation Society of the Florida Keys (MPS) and other private donors who could react quickly. MPS’ mandate is to fund and support necessary actions for environmental protection and preservation. Through this model, they were able to avoid government and funding delays. 

MPS volunteer director Sara Rankin said, “On behalf of our commitment to real-time and genetic preservation, deep water nurseries achieve that goal until longer solutions can be reached.”

While Keys coral lovers are more prepared this year, they’re also keenly aware that this problem – and this heat – will not dissipate anytime soon. Plans must be made for longer-term solutions, they emphasized. To that end, KML is currently increasing their capacity and fundraising for a new Regional Oceanographic Center in the Florida Keys to serve many scientific and restoration needs. 

“Temporary deep-water nurseries are not the permanent answer, but a short term solution to preserve genetic lines from extinction,” Rankin concluded. “The bigger question we ask is what is the long-term plan for the corals and the various restoration programs. Moving corals to deep water or to land based facilities for the summer is not a long-term solution.”

^{The Marine Preservation Society was founded to respond real-time to emergent marine situations. Their board is made of locals dedicated to the local reefs. Marine Preservation Society}