2006 Reef Plate Grant Awards

By buying the Protect Our Reefs specialty license plate, Florida drivers generate unique funding for coral reef research, education and conservation programs. In 2006, the Protect Our Reefs grant committee awarded the following grants:

RESEARCH/CONSERVATION GRANTS

Organization: Center for Fisheries Enhancement, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236; 941-388-4441.
Grant Amount: $45,000
Grant Summary: Funding will support a study looking at the recovery of long-spined sea urchins, Diadema antillarum, on Florida reefs and what effect their recovery will have on algal cover on the reefs. The second prong of the study will research and develop aquaculture techniques for growing long-spined sea urchins for release for restocking programs.
Contact Information: Kenneth Leber, Director of the Center for Fisheries Enhancement, kleber@mote.org; Aaron Adams, Manager, Fisheries Habitat Ecology Program, aadams@mote.org.

Organization: Center for Aquaculture Research and Development, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236; 941-388-4441
Grant Amount: $24,000
Grant Summary: Funding will support several efforts aimed at restoration of coral reefs through controlled propagation. Studies will focus on three coral types: elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, staghorn coral, Acropora cervicornis, and star coral, Montastrea cavernosa. The project will develop and refine lab-culture methods for land-based, environmentally friendly recirculating aquaculture systems and establish broodstock colonies for research and restocking efforts.
Contact Information: Prinicipal Investigators: Kevan L. Main, Director of the Center for Aquaculture Research and Development, kmain@mote.org; Kimberly B. Ritchie, Manager of the Marine Microbiology Program, ritchie@mote.org.

Organization: Center for Coral Reef Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236; 941-388-4441.
Grant Amount: $22,000
Grant Summary: Funding will help support continued studies of elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, and its antibiotic properties. Initial studies in 2004-2005 showed that the antibiotic properties of this coral species’ mucus changes as temperatures increase. The work indicates that elkhorn corals may lose the ability to protect themselves against invading bacteria as water temperatures rise, but additional study is needed.
Contact Information: Kimberly B. Ritchie, Manager of the Marine Microbiology Program, ritchie@mote.org.

Organization: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149-1031; 305-421-4000.
Grant Amount: $20,000
Grant Summary: This study will investigate how elevated temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet light affect coral larvae survival, development and recruitment (meaning how well corals settle to the bottom and continue their life cycle). Investigators will do controlled laboratory studies to determine genetic changes in coral larvae.
Contact Information: Principal Investigator, Peter Glynn, Marine Biology Professor, pglynn@rsmas.miami.edu; Co-Principal Investigator, Benjamin M. Mason, Ph.D. student, bmason@rsmas.miami.edu.

Organization: United States Geological Survey, Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, 600 Fourth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-4846; 727-803-8747
Grant Amount: $20,000
Grant Summary: Grant will be used to study potential new bio-controls for diseased corals. Investigators will study what kinds of viruses infect various bacteria that harm coral and whether these viruses may be used to help combat bacterial infections in corals.
Contact Information: Christina A. Kellogg, Principal Investigator, Research Microbiologist, ckellogg@usgs.gov.

Organization: Tropical Research Laboratory (Mote Marine Laboratory), 24244 Overseas Highway, Summerland Key, FL 33042; 305-745-2729.
Grant Amount: $18,000
Grant Summary: Funding will help continue the ongoing Marine Ecosystem Event Response and Assessment Project developed with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary in 1997. The program provides an in-situ monitoring program for the reef and subsequently also gives an early-warning alert for signs of coral bleaching or other coral health problems. The program includes building a volunteer network of divers to help monitor specific areas for changes in coral reefs and an online reporting system accessible to the public.
Contact Information: Erich Bartels, Coral Reef Science Program Manager, ebartels@mote.org.

Organization: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149-1031; 305-421-4000.
Grant Amount: $17,886
Grant Summary: This project is designed to study methods for evaluating coral reef restoration projects; specifically projects concerning the restoration of elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata. The goal is to provide a turnkey program that can be used by trained volunteers at conservation organizations to restore corals that had been fragmented by natural or man-made causes.
Contact Information: Principal Investigator Dana E. Williams, Assistant Scientist, dwilliams@rsmas.miami.edu; Co-Principal Investigator, Margaret W. Miller, Ecologist, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries, margaret.w.miller@noaa.gov.

Organization: Tropical Research Laboratory, (Mote Marine Laboratory), 24244 Overseas Highway, Summerland Key, FL 33042; 305-745-2729.
Grant Amount: $11,000
Grant Summary: Grant will be used to develop new education programs that will offer additional education on corals and their related communities for scientists, resource managers and others with job-related interests. The 7-day course, tentatively titled “Benthic Taxonomy: Florida/Caribbean Sponges” will focus on sponges found at or near Florida’s reef tract, including taxonomy, how sponges interact with other reef life, sponge biology and sponge diseases. Funding will also be used to provide stipends for additional shorter, three-day courses focusing on various aspects of corals.
Contact Information: Dan Gallagher, Florida Keys Education Coordinator, dgallagher@mote.org.

Organization: 11th International Coral Reef Symposium, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004; 954-262-3617
Grant Amount: $10,000
Grant Summary: Grant supports the “Reefs for the Future,” the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium. This is the world’s largest scientific conference dealing with research, education and conservation of coral reefs and reef-related ecosystems. The international meeting is held every four years, with Florida leading the bid to host the 2008 symposium in Fort Lauderdale. More than 2,500 attendees are expected.
Contact Information: Richard E. Dodge, Chairman of the local organizing committee, dodge@nova.edu.

OUTREACH/EDUCATION GRANTS

Organization: REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation), P.O. Box 246, Key Largo, FL 33037; 305-852-0030.
Grant Amount: $30,000
Grant Summary: REEF will work with the Urban Arts Institute (Boston) to develop and implement a public outreach campaign directed at Florida residents and visitors.
Contact Information: Bryan Dias, Director of Outreach and Education, bryan@reef.org

Organization: Reef Relief, P.O. Box 430, Key West, FL 33041; 305-294-3100
Grant Amount: $20,000
Grant Summary: Funding will support programs designed to help educate the targeted segments of the public about coral reefs in Florida. Funding may also be used to support an online archive of photo documentation of changes in Florida Keys corals.
Contact Information: DeeVon Quirolo, Executive Director, deevon@bellsouth.net.

Organization: Seacamp Association, Inc., 1300 Big Pine Ave., Big Pine Key, FL 33043-3336; 305-872-2331 (Newfound Harbor Marine Institute).
Grant Amount: $17,000
Grant Summary: Grant will support the technology to help bring the coral reef and its residents to teachers and students in the classrooms via the internet. Funding will support new computer and photography equipment. The technology will support an integrated web program for teachers in Florida and other states, and has step-by-step coral reef lessons describing the coral reef, the biology of corals, animal-reef interactions and coral threats that can be used in a classroom setting. It will also provide detailed video and images of coral reefs and coral reef animals that students can use to create their own multi-media presentations on coral reefs.
Contact Information: Dan Gallagher, Special Projects Coordinator, dan1@bwisk.net, Irene Hooper, Executive Director, Seacamp Association.

Organization: Center for Distance Learning, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236; 941-388-4441.
Grant Amount: $15,000
Grant Summary: Funds will allow the distance learning program SeaTrek to develop, test and evaluate new educational and outreach projects for middle school students devoted to coral reef ecosystems and their conservation. SeaTrek provides live, interactive videoconferences to students in classrooms worldwide.
Contact Information: Elizabeth Metz, Director of the Center for Distance Learning, emetz@mote.org.

Organization: Perry Institute for Marine Science, 100 North U.S. Highway 1, Suite 202, Jupiter, FL 33477; 561-741-0192.
Grant Amount: $10,000
Grant Summary: Funding will be used to develop and distribute a poster about the life history of the elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata. Elkhorn coral is currently under consideration to gain protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Posters will be used to help educate the public about the importance of the species for reef health and about the various threats corals face.
Contact Information: Jocelyn O’Neill, Education and Development Administrator, joneill@perryinstitute.org; Erich Mueller, Senior Research Scientist, emueller@perryinstitute.org.

Organization: Florida Oceanographic Society, 890 NE Ocean Blvd., Stuart, FL 34996-1627; 772-225-0505.
Grant Amount: $9,000
Grant Summary: Funding will be used to remove marine debris from the heavily used coral reef community within the St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park. The 4.7-mile limestone-based reef is the northernmost reef supporting a healthy stony coral population. Funding will be used to locate and remove debris, set up a debris monitoring program, prepare fliers that help users report lost gear and create a response team to retrieve lost debris.
Contact Information: Principle Investigator, Laura Herren, Scientific Adviser, laura.herren@dep.state.fl.us; Merle Stokes, Dive Team Coordinator, Co-Principal Investigator, wstokes@martin.fl.us; Mark Perry, Executive Director, Florida Oceanographic Society, markperry@floridaoceanographic.org.

Organization: Arthur Vining Davis Library, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236; 941-388-4441.
Grant Amount: $7,000
Grant Summary: Funding will allow the library to develop and maintain key source materials on coral reefs to be housed at Mote’s onsite library site with resources available to all involved in coral reef research, education and conservation. The library will also house reports from the “Protect Our Reefs” Grants Program and put that information online as well.
Contact Information: Sue Stover, Senior Librarian, library@mote.org.