We are grateful to the Coral Reef Conservation Program for sharing the summer 2020 spawning successes of their partners!
Click on each video to see the mass spawning event at each location!
Scientists at the Nova Southeastern University Marine Larval Ecology and Recruitment Lab successfully induced colonies of great star coral (Montastrea cavernosa), a major reef-building species in Florida, to reproduce in captivity for the first time ever. Friends of Our Florida Reefs helped fund the larval system where the larvae were reared.Scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science observed threatened staghorn corals (Acropora cervicornis) spawning at the 100 Yards of Hope restoration site. Successful spawning of outplanted corals is an exciting sign for future restoration efforts!Mote coral scientists observed restored colonies of mountainous star coral (Orbicella faveolata) spawning on a reef near Cook Island. This is the first time that restored massive corals have been documented to spawn on Florida’s Coral Reef.
Threatened Atlantic pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) successfully spawned for the second year in a row at
The Florida Aquarium Center for Conservation’s Induced Coral Spawning Lab.
Photo courtesy of The Florida Aquarium.
Corals only reproduce once a year during carefully selected summer nights. The conditions need to be just right for the sexually mature colonies to release their eggs and sperm, or gametes, into the water column. When different coral species release their gametes at the same time, it is called mass spawning. Synchronized spawning efforts among different species increases the chances that the eggs will be successfully fertilized.Water quality plays a huge part in coral protection and restoration, and our Blue Water Task Force program is all about water quality monitoring.
Become a water sampler or host a processing lab, and help protect our coral reefs.
