FCRC, is a public-private consortium project of SeaWorld Orlando, Disney Co., the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, NOAA and other marine, science and conservation organizations.
It always renews my hope for the future of our reefs to see news like this. For so long, we have all been told our oceans and reefs are on the decline and dying. I am sure you ask yourself, as I do, what can I do to help? Well, this was delivered on the front page of the Orlando Sentinel to my driveway April 18, 2021! I can not think of a better way to start my day.
Corals collected from Florida barrier reefs to the Caribbean in an effort to save them from an incurable disease sweeping through the area, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease. With the cause of the disease still unknown, over 20 of approximately 45 species of Florida's corals have been affected. This includes five species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The disease spreads quickly and has a high mortality rate. As of Sept. 2020, more than 96,000 acres, over half of Florida's coral reefs, have been affected. Once a coral begins to lose living tissue, observations show that the colony can die within weeks. (Stony coral tissue Loss Disease Response. (2021, April 1). Retrieved May 01, 2021, from https://floridadep.gov/rcp/coral/content/stony-coral-tissue-loss-disease-response)
The corals collected will be preserved and data collected from which then can help to repopulate our Florida reefs. The valiant efforts directed towards this have my utmost respect and gratitude. These corals are being cared for by some of the best in the industry and hopefully information collected here will be useful in preserving and propagating other reefs around the world.