(Miami, FL) – A team of Florida marine biologists with the University of Miami is trying to save delicate corals from rising ocean temperatures by transferring them to land.
Dr. Diego Lirman runs the Coral Restoration Lab at UM and is collecting colonies of endangered elkhorn corals from the ocean Wednesday to be preserved at his facility.
He says the ocean water off South Florida is above 90-degrees and to prevent bleaching and death, the corals will be cared for on land. About 50 colonies between 15-to-30-centimeters in size will be brought to shore as part of the state-funded rescue effort.
Dr. Lirman says while some corals will die in the transfer, more will be saved from heat stress and bleaching. But adds, “after the water cools in a few months, the corals will be returned to the ocean.”
“In response to widespread coral bleaching and mortality events in 2023-24, coral scientists at the University of Miani Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science launched a coral reconnaissance and recovery mission to help protect elkhorn corals from anticipated heat stress.”