Though the doors to the Florida Aquarium have been closed to guests due to the coronavirus pandemic, this hasn’t stopped the staff from making historic breakthroughs.
The aquarium announced Wednesday that it became the first institution in the world to reproduce ridged cactus coral in human care.
Until this month, the coral’s larvae hadn’t ever been photographed or measured. The larval release time had never been recorded either. You can watch a video of the larval release here.
The breakthrough could help save “America’s great barrier reef,” according to a press release from the aquarium.
Rigid cactus coral in the Florida Reef Tract are currently being destroyed by the Stony Coral Tissue Loss disease. After growing “rescued pre-disease” coral, researchers at the aquarium hope to implement the healthy polyps in a natural reef.
“Our resolve to save Florida’s endangered coral reefs continues, and this historic breakthrough by our coral experts, our second in 8 months, provides additional hope for the future of all coral reefs in our backyard and around the globe,” the announcement said.
“While our Aquarium remains temporarily closed to the public as we support our community’s well-being efforts, not even a global pandemic can slow us down when it comes to protecting and restoring America’s 'great' barrier reef.”
The aquarium’s breakthrough is part of “Project Coral,” an international coral reproductive research project spearheaded by the London-based Horniman Museum and Gardens. Each species of coral grown by the Florida Aquarium for “Project Coral” is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
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This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2020.