Coral rescue at Miami Beach

Researchers lift a coral affected by the seawall collapse. Credit: NOAA

A team of coral researchers from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the University of Miami (UM) rescued 43 coral colonies after a sea wall collapsed at Star Island, near Miami Beach.

The rapid coral rescue effort occurred at one of NOAA’s regularly monitored research sites. While conducting a routine survey, scientists from NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) noticed the partially collapsed sea wall, which previously hosted dozens of coral colonies, including endangered mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata). The corals directly impacted by the initial wall collapse were likely crushed, while the surrounding coral colonies were dislodged and covered in silt.
Within days, a collaborative, highly-trained, rescue team conducted a survey of surviving corals and rescued 43 colonies from the remaining portions of the wall, focusing on collecting endangered species and species susceptible to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, which rapidly destroys the tissue of important reef-building corals.

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