Florida
drivers who purchase the state’s Protect Our Reefs specialty license plate are
supporting new programs designed to attack coral reef problems on a number of
fronts, the committee awarding research grants announced Monday, June 4, 2007.
The $375,000 worth of grants funded by the sale of the Protect Our Reefs plate
will help scientists have a more comprehensive picture of why corals are in
decline and the factors that keep coral healthy. The Protect Our Reefs plate is
also supporting new efforts aimed at restoring coral reefs, and programs
designed to get the public involved in protecting coral reefs.
This is the second year that the Protect Our Reefs Grants
Advisory Committee has awarded funding for nonprofit organizations based in Florida for research, conservation and outreach efforts primarily
directed toward the major reef tract that extends from Miami
to the Dry Tortugas. Grants may also cover efforts
on other reefs throughout the state. The 2007 grants build on a successful
first year of scientific study and outreach, said Bruce Frerer, chairman of the
Protect Our Reefs Grants Advisory Committee.
“The efforts by the award winners throughout 2006 were just
phenomenal, demonstrating that the Protect Our Reefs funds produced important
and meaningful results,” Frerer said. “The 2006 research included a little bit of
everything: the role bacteria play in coral health, understanding whether
viruses could be used to inoculate corals against ‘bad’ bacteria and even ways
to grow coral in an aquarium setting for later reef replenishment. The work was
just stellar and we look forward to even more innovations with these new
awards.”
The 2006 work has already led to some fascinating new research:
- Corals
may have a third symbiont. It has long been understood that corals consist
of two organisms: the coral polyps that secrete the calcium carbonate to
build the reef skeleton and the zooxanthellae, a single-celled algae that
give corals their color and provide food for the polyps in a symbiotic
relationship. New findings suggest bacteria are a third member of the
coral equation, playing a vital role in coral health.
- In a
kind of underwater germ warfare, investigators studied the potential use
of naturally occurring viruses to attack bacteria that cause coral
disease. Surveys showed numerous natural viruses can combat disease.
Initial work funded by the Protect Our Reefs license plate will hopefully
spark additional research by others to understand whether viruses could be
used to help combat bacterial infections on corals in the future.
- In Martin County, a volunteer organization
used Reef Plate funds to initiate cleanup of five miles of reef off the
south side of St. Lucie Inlet. Trained divers mapped the reef, identified
debris by type and location and carefully removed it. They also developed
public education programs and outreach by creating a toll-free number that
members of the public could use to report debris. This program is expected
to become a multi-year effort supported by new state and federal dollars.
Learn More about Mote's Center for Coral Reef Research and Protect Our Reefs
The 2007 Protect Our Reefs grant awards have several major
themes: Science Programs, Restoration Programs, Monitoring Programs,
Education/Outreach and Professional Workshops. Summaries are listed below.
SCIENCE PROGRAMS
Grant Title: Exploring Mechanisms for Targeted Biological
Control of Bacterial Diseases in Corals
Grant Amount: $25,208
Grant Summary: Preliminary coral studies have indicated that
corals recruit bacteria that can help keep them healthy by fighting off “bad”
or invading microbes. Work has shown that the “good” bacteria found on coral
help fight off invaders by producing compounds that won’t allow the invaders to
grow in corals’ protective mucus or by producing compounds that disrupt
cell-to-cell communication among invading microbes.
This study is designed to help characterize these biocontrol
activities so that beneficial bacteria may some day be harnessed to help
protect coral reefs.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Max Teplitski,
Assistant Professor, Department of Soil and Water Science, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, P.O. Box 103610 Gainesville,
FL 32610-3610,
maxtep@ufl.edu.
Link: http://www.ufgi.ufl.edu/
Grant Title: Seasonal Changes in the Protective Properties
of Elkhorn
Coral Surface Mucus
Grant Amount: $45,795
Grant Summary: This project continues studies to
characterize the immunity of the threatened elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata). 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. Work in 2006 showed that the coral antibiotic
properties remained low, following the 2005 coral bleaching event. Continued
study will allow for a more complete data set and help provide an understanding
of the fluctuations that affect coral health and why some corals are
increasingly susceptible to disease. Findings should also help provide optimal
growth temperatures and microbial compositions for healthy corals and aid in
management decisions.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Kimberly B. Ritchie,
Manager, Marine Microbiology Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, ritchie@mote.org.
Link: www.mote.org
Grant Title: Impact of Toxic Cyanobacterial Blooms on Coral
Reef Habitats Off Southeastern Florida and the Florida
Keys
Grant Amount: $22,988
Grant Summary: Lyngbya
polychroa and Lyngbya confervoides
are two of the most abundant cyanobacteria reported on coral reefs offshore in Palm Beach and Broward counties and in Key
Largo. They affect reefs and seagrasses by smothering them, often
resulting in severe damage or death of the habitat within weeks. Additionally,
both species produce toxins whose effects on the marine life community is
unknown. This study seeks to understand whether blooms are impacted by
point-source pollution and how the toxins these species produce affect adjacent
marine life.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Valerie Paul, Head
Scientist, Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort
Pierce, 701
Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34949-3140,
paul@sms.si.edu.
Link: http://www.sms.si.edu/
Grant Title: Impacts of Red Tides and Associated Toxins on
Scleractinian Coral Health and Settlement
Grant Amount: $18,950
Grant Summary: This study seeks to understand whether the
organism that causes Florida
red tides, Karenia brevis, has any
impact on coral larvae development. The study will focus on Porites astreoides, or mustard hill
coral. Coral samples will be removed from a seawall at the base of Spanish Channel
Harbor Bridge
in the Florida Keys and brought to Mote’s
Tropical Research Laboratory for in-tank spawning. The coral larvae will then
be exposed to K. brevis in the
laboratory, then placed in a natural environment and later analyzed.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Valerie Paul, Head
Scientist, Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort
Pierce, 701
Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34949-3140,
paul@sms.si.edu.
Link: http://www.sms.si.edu/
Grant Title: Investigation of Microbes Associated with Early
Life Stages of Acropora palmata in
the Florida Keys
Grant Amount: $18,224
Grant Summary: This grant seeks to understand how recently
settled coral polyps take up naturally occurring bacterial associates. Recent
studies have shown that certain coral species are closely associated with
specific microbes that play a role in keeping coral healthy. This study seeks
to understand how Acropora palmata,
or elkhorn
coral, acquire these bacteria.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Valerie Paul, Head
Scientist, Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort
Pierce, 701
Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34949-3140,
paul@sms.si.edu.
Link: http://www.sms.si.edu/
Grant Title: Evaluating the Effects of Increasing PCO2 on
Coral Larval Survivorship, Recruitment, and Post-Settlement Growth of the
Brooding Coral Porites Astreoides and
the Broadcast-Spawning Coral Acropora
Palmata
Grant Amount: $13,720
Grant Summary: Coral reef systems are threatened by
increases in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which can increase
the acidity of the ocean and, in-turn, affect corals’ ability to calcify and
build reefs. This study will look at how coral larvae and juvenile corals are
affected by changes in carbon dioxide levels.
Contact Information/Organization: Chris Langdon, Professor
of Marine Biology, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine &
Atmospheric Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, clangdon@rsmas.miami.edu.
Link: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/
Grant Title: Coral Spawning Partnership 2007
Grant Amount: $21,900
Grant Summary: Funding will support the second annual Coral
Spawning Cruise. The first, which took place in August 2006, resulted in new
conservation research efforts designed to better understand the annual coral
spawning process and gather important baseline data on coral reproduction – an
important effort given the current declines in coral reefs worldwide.
Contact Information/Organization: Lauri MacLaughlin,
Resource Manager, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, P.O. Box 1083, Key Largo,
FL 33037,
lauri.maclaughlin@noaa.gov.
Link: http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/
RESTORATION PROGRAMS
Grant Title: Examining the Efficacy of Diadema antillarum Enhancement for Restoration of Coral Reefs in
the Florida Keys
Grant Amount: $57,000
Grant Summary: Long-spined sea urchins, Diadema antillarum, a cornerstone species on Caribbean
coral reefs, underwent a massive die-off in the 1980s. The mortality was a
major cause in the phase shift from coral-dominated to algal-dominated
communities. While some urchin populations have rebounded in other parts of the
Caribbean, the urchin community has not come back in the Florida
Keys. This study seeks to understand the reasons why the urchin
populations have not rebounded in the Florida Keys,
as well as use aquaculture methods to produce new urchin populations to study
the efficacy of restocking efforts.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Kenneth M. Leber,
Director, Center for Fisheries Enhancement, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, kleber@mote.org.
Link: www.mote.org
Grant Title: Conservation of Florida’s Coral Reefs Through Controlled
Propagation
Grant Amount: $25,520
Grant Summary: This grant seeks to create new methodologies
for growing coral in a laboratory setting for later replanting on coral reefs,
aiding restoration efforts. The focus will be on four species of stony corals –
Acropora palmata, Acropora cervicornis,
Montastrea cavernosa and Montastrea
annularis – whose growth rates will be documented in controlled settings,
with a particular focus on changes in light conditions. The project will also
establish captive broodstock colonies of these species for additional
restocking and research efforts.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Kevan Main, Director,
Center for Aquaculture Research and Development, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, kmain@mote.org.
Link: www.mote.org
MONITORING PROGRAMS
Grant Title: Florida Keys
BleachWatch
Grant Amount: $16,128
Grant Summary: The Florida Keys BleachWatch Project was
developed in conjunction with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to
train volunteer divers to report on coral bleaching events throughout the Florida Keys. Reports from BleachWatch volunteers are
combined with data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Coral Reef Watch system that utilizes satellite images and
in-situ observation platforms to predict coral bleaching. Combining the two
data sources allows for a more well-rounded and real-time picture of coral
bleaching events. Funding helps provide training and materials for volunteer
divers who make observations on their own time.
Contact Information/Organization: Erich Bartels, Program
Manager, Coral Reef Science and Monitoring Program, Tropical Research
Laboratory, Mote Marine Laboratory, 24244
Overseas Highway, Summerland Key,
FL 33042,
ebartels@mote.org.
Link: www.mote.org
Grant Title: Marine Ecosystem Event Response and Assessment (MEERA)
Grant Amount: $19,280
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 MEERA
Project facilitates the transfer of information on environmental or biological
events throughout the Florida Keys through a network of community “Marine
Observers,” and by pro-active monitoring of remote sensing and other in situ
data from throughout the southwest Florida
region. Significant or related reports that indicate a possible event are then
further investigated utilizing a combination of volunteers, cooperative work
with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and other agency personnel, and
Mote Marine Laboratory staff and equipment. All information is provided to
relevant experts and resource managers, and is made available to the public on
the internet via Mote’s webpage.
Contact Information/Organization: Erich Bartels, Program
Manager, Coral Reef Science and Monitoring Program, Tropical Research
Laboratory, Mote Marine Laboratory, 24244
Overseas Highway, Summerland Key,
FL 33042,
ebartels@mote.org.
Link: www.mote.org
PUBLIC
OUTREACH/EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Grant Title: Blue Star Program
Grant Amount: $31,717
Grant Summary: The Blue Star Program is designed to increase
coral reef protections by publicly recognizing reef-friendly dive and snorkel
charter businesses that have completed a training program and provide
information and education to their customers. The program is designed to
increase the knowledge of “best practices” for coral reef divers and snorkelers
and reduce human-related damage on coral reefs.
Contact Information/Organization: Cheva Heck, Communications
Director, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 33 East Quay Road, Key West,
FL 33040,
cheva.heck@noaa.gov.
Link: http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/
Grant Title: Coral Reef Classroom
Grant Amount: $15,500
Grant Summary: Coral Reef Classroom has provided free
educational excursions to the reef for more than 2,000 local students and
teachers since 1991. Environmental stewardship is highlighted as students
develop their own hypotheses about the condition of essential habitats, record
and compare field observations, and discuss ecosystem management strategies.
The objectives of Coral Reef Classroom are to teach basic coral reef biology
and concepts of habitat interdependence by engaging students in activities such
as water quality sampling, data collection, and evaluation. Each Coral Reef
Classroom program includes a shoreside presentation and a boat trip to the
coral reef.
Contact Information/Organization: Mary Tagliareni, Education
and Outreach Coordinator, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, 33 East Quay Road, Key West, FL 33040, mary.tagliareni@noaa.gov.
Link: http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/
PROFESSIONAL
WORKSHOPS
Grant Title: 11th International Coral Reef
Symposium (Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center)
Grant Amount: $22,000
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 and
sessions will focus on sharing current coral reef research efforts in
multi-disciplinary platforms. Conference sessions include: “coral reef
organisms as recorders of local and global environmental change,” “functional
biology of corals and coral symbioses,” “coral microbial interactions,”
“ecological processes on today’s reef ecosystems,” “reef resilience,” “reef
management” and “reef restoration.”
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Richard Dodge, Dean,
Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center, 8000 North Ocean Drive,
Dania Beach, FL 33004. dodge@nova.edu.
Link: http://www.nova.edu/ncri/11icrs/
Grant Title: Advanced Courses for Coral Reef Students
Grant Amount: $9,300
Grant Summary: Each year, Mote Marine Laboratory’s Tropical
Research Laboratory based in Summerland Key, Fla., hosts several advanced workshops designed for coral
reef scientists, resource managers and others who specialize in coral
reef-related research on matters relevant to the health of the Florida reef tract. The
grant award will help subsidize the cost of providing the classes, making these
graduate-level classes affordable for coral scientists. Courses may focus on
coral diseases, coral tissue slide reading, applied techniques in restoration
ecology and benthic taxonomy of Florida/Caribbean sponges
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Dan Gallagher,
Education Coordinator, Tropical Research Laboratory, Mote Marine Laboratory, 24244 Overseas Highway, Summerland Key, FL 33042, dgallagher@mote.org.
Link: www.mote.org
Grant Title: Professional Workshop in Support of a Practical
Guide to the Shallow-Water Marine Sponges (Porifera) of South
Florida
Grant Amount: $11,770
Grant Summary: This grant will bring together leading
experts in sponge identification for the ultimate creation of a comprehensive
and practical sponge field guide. The week-long workshop will allow the experts
to examine previously collected specimens, collect new specimens and gather the
information and photographs needed to create a comprehensive listing of sponge
species. The guide will focus on sponges from the Indian River Lagoon south to
the Dry Tortugas and be available online and
via CD-Rom.
Contact Information/Organization: Dr. Charles G. Messing, Oceanographic Center,
Nova Southeastern University,
8000 N. Ocean Drive, Dania Beach, FL 33004, messingc@nova.edu.
Link: http://www.nova.edu/
Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is one of the
largest independent nonprofit marine research organizations in the world. It is
dedicated to advancing the science of the sea through the study of marine and
estuarine ecosystems, through the public Mote Aquarium and through an education
division that provides unique programs for all ages.
