Coral Reefs
FWRI's Coral Research Program has investigated coral habitats throughout Florida since the 1950's. Florida's Coral Reef is the primary focus of our research efforts - Florida's bank barrier reef system off the coast of southeast Florida and the Florida Keys. Additional research has occurred in Florida's other coral communities up the Gulf coast of Florida. The loss of these vital ecosystems will have cascading effects, as thousands of other organisms depend on coral reefs for shelter, food, and breeding sites. Monitoring our coral reef communities provides us with a long-term and comprehensive view of of our reefs. Our data helps inform management decisions for these vital habitats.
Coral Currents
Learn more about corals, including current events that are impacting our reefs like bleaching events and disease outbreaks.
Coral Program's Long-term Monitoring Projects
Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Project (CREMP)
Learn more about one of the longest running coral reef monitoring projects in the world. CREMP has monitored the condition of coral reef and hardbottom habitats annually throughout the Florida Keys since 1996, southeast Florida since 2003, and the Dry Tortugas since 2004. Collectively, the spatial effort for monitoring across the three regions includes >70 sites under the CREMP framework along Florida’s Coral Reef. This program has been extremely important in documenting the temporal changes that have occurred in recent years.
Disturbance Response Monitoring Program (DRM)
The DRM program was designed to capture bleaching impacts on Florida's Coral Reef and has been critical in understanding how rising sea temperatures will affect Florida’s coral reefs.
Endangered Species Assessments
FWC monitors patches of the endangered species elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) from Biscayne National Park to Dry Tortugas National Park.
Research and Conservation Efforts
