Category: NEWS & INFO

To view the Summer 2017 DRM Quick Look Report please visit our Publications and Resources page or you can access it here.

The DRM press release can be viewed here.

To learn more about FRRP’s work and accomplishments visit Nature.org.

The Nature Conservancy and our partners continue our effort to restore staghorn coral at Dry Tortugas National Park. Our scientists have been working on coral restoration for twelve years and the program has achieved great success, with more than 10,000 staghorn corals outplanted throughout Florida’s waters.
You can read more about this restoration effort here.

Thanks to a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, researchers are learning more about coral reefs and what’s needed to keep them a part of Florida’s coast. “Experimenting with new coral restoration techniques is vital to advancing the science and practice of reef restoration in Florida.” – Chris Bergh, South Florida Conservation Director
The full article is available here.

In-water and classroom trainings are mandatory for all participating surveyors.  An online training is available for past surveyors.  This ensures they have acquired the necessary information in order to conduct and record effective reef surveys for the monitoring program.  For more information contact Meaghan Johnson (meaghan_johnson@tnc.org).

DRM trainings have been scheduled for August 3rd at Mote Marine Laboratory and August 10th at Nova Southeastern Oceanographic Center for new surveyors and team leaders.  Please contact Meaghan Johnson Meaghan_johnson@tnc.org  for further information.

The Florida Reef Resilience Program (FRRP), a collaborative effort to manage Florida’s coral reefs for climate change and other stressors, recently completed a survey of coral bleaching conditions across the Florida Reef Tract. Coral bleaching occurs when corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light or nutrients.

Surveys completed last summer recorded severe bleaching from the Dry Tortugas to Broward County, the worst year since the surveys began in 2005. Partner scientists from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Nova Southeastern University and Florida Department of Environmental Protection are now participating in additional surveys to determine the impacts on corals from this bleaching event. Results from these surveys will be available in August 2015.  Understanding the impacts of coral bleaching will help managers better protect coral reefs, which offer coastal protection, are centers of high biodiversity and provide essential habitat to a wide range of recreationally- and commercially-important species of fish and invertebrates.

The Nature Conservancy joined Fabien Cousteau, Oceanographic explorer, conservationist, documentary filmmaker, and the grandson of the famous ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau  in a Google Hangout in June to discuss his Mission 31 ocean exploration project and answer questions about coral reefs and why they are so important to people and the health of our oceans.

Watch the Reef Talk here: Reef Talk

In-water and classroom training sessions and refresher classes were conducted in August for team leaders participating in the Annual Disturbance Reef Monitoring (DRM) program.  All other designated participants should also complete the on-line training course found on this site. This ensures they have acquired the necessary information in order to conduct and record effective reef surveys for the monitoring program.