Florida Department of Environmental Protection - Coral Reefs

Florida is the only state in the continental United States to have extensive shallow coral reef formations near its coasts. Coral reefs create specialized habitats that provide shelter, food and breeding sites for numerous plants and animals, including spiny lobster, snapper and other commercial and recreational species. Coral reefs lay the foundation of a dynamic ecosystem with tremendous biodiversity. The Florida Reef Tract (FRT) stretches 358 miles from the Dry Tortugas National Park off of the Florida Keys to the St. Lucie Inlet in Martin County. Roughly two thirds of the Florida Reef Tract lies within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), a marine protected area that surrounds the Florida Keys island chain. The reefs stretching north of the FKNMS are managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), which is one of several programs administered by the CRCP.

Florida's coral reefs came into existence 5,000 to 7,000 years ago when sea levels rose following the last Ice Age. Reef growth is relatively slow; an individual colony may grow one-half inch to 7 inches a year, depending on the species. All coral reefs are in a constant state of flux. While expanding with new polyps (the living tissue) on the outer surface, they are simultaneously being ground into sand by storms and animals. During long periods of favorable conditions, the reefs may reach awe-inspiring heights and diversity.

Corals are classified as animals, yet microscopic plants live within the animal tissues in a symbiotic relationship. The coral animals benefit from the sugars and oxygen that the plants provide through photosynthesis and the plants gain nutrients from animal waste and are protected within the coral tissues. These tiny plants give the coral much of its color.

Coral reef development occurs only in areas with specific environmental characteristics: a solid structure for attachment, relatively warm water temperatures, clear waters low in phosphate and nitrogen nutrients, and moderate wave action to disperse wastes and bring oxygen and plankton to the reef. Most of Florida's sport fish species and many other marine animals spend significant parts of their lives around coral reefs.

Types of Reefs and Corals

The three major types of coral reefs around the world are atolls, fringing reefs and barrier reefs. Florida's coral reef system most closely resembles a barrier reef, however, the reefs are closer to shore and they lack the shallow inshore lagoons found on most barrier reefs so it is more aptly named a bank reef. Florida also has patch reefs, which grow between the reef tract and the land in shallower waters. Patch reefs are typically small (the size of your back yard or a small home).

More than 45 species of stony corals and 37 species of octocorals are found along the Florida Reef Tract. Each kind lives in a separate colony that is shaped differently. The colonies take on the various hues of the algae that live within them. Corals can generally be divided into two main categories: stony corals and octocorals (sea fans and other soft corals). Marine sponges are also very important within the coral reef community and over 70 species can be found along the Florida Reef Tract.

Stony corals are the major reef architects. Polyps, the living portion of corals, extract calcium from seawater and combine it with carbon dioxide to construct the elaborate limestone skeletons that form the reef backbone.

Florida's most common reef-building corals are brain, star, elkhorn and staghorn. Brain coral is dome-shaped and has the waves, folds and ridges that resemble those of a human brain. Star coral is also dome-shaped, but has a distinctive star pattern on its surface that is caused by the accordion-like folds within its polyp cups. Elkhorn and staghorn corals are so named because their branchlike projections resemble the antlers of those animals. In recent years, corals have experienced declines due to a combination of factors, including coral disease and damage from hurricanes. In 2006, elkhorn and staghorn coral were listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. To restore these corals that were once so abundant, coral nurseries have become established along Florida's coast and in the Florida Keys. Nurseries are growing new colonies and successfully out-planting them to locations where they had once flourished.

Octocorals, some of which are also called gorgonians, look like strange trees and shrubs, although they too are composed of living polyps. Unlike stony corals, octocorals are unable to build thick limestone skeletons, but are supported by an internal structure composed of a horn-like substance called gorgonin.

The most common octocorals in Florida are sea fans and sea whips. Sea fans are pale lavender or green fan-shaped corals. Their fans flutter in the ocean current like lace curtains. Sea whips have long feathery branches that spread in all directions. They can be orange, lilac, purple, yellow, brown or buff.

Along the northern extension of the Florida Reef Tract, the reefs generally occur in a series of one to three discontinuous reef lines (terraces) that parallel the shoreline, extending north from Miami-Dade County to Martin County.

Different reef organisms characterize the type of habitats found along Florida reefs, typically transitioning from a cover of algae and small octocorals nearshore to numerous octocorals and varied hard coral populations at the outer reefs. The various reef architectural and compositional components create an environment that is ecologically diverse and productive, one that supports many other aquatic plants and animals that make southeast Florida reefs their home.

Although Florida's coasts are best known for their beaches, there are many other important habitats along the coasts and immediately offshore. Along Florida's shores, salt marshes and mangrove forests provide important habitats to numerous species. Immediately off-shore, the seagrass meadows and expanses of coral reefs fulfill similar roles.

Estuaries are also important to many species, although they are not a habitat any more than coasts are. Estuaries occur in areas where freshwater mixes with saltwater, usually enclosed in a bay to slow the mixing effect. So salt marshes, mangroves, and seagrass meadows can all occur within the same estuary. Additionally, they are valuable because the lower salinity tends to discourage the truly marine species from intruding which allows them to function as nurseries, hence their nickname - The Cradle of the Oceans.

Both mangrove forests and salt marshes tend to occur within estuaries. The soil types that they need are small enough that they would quickly be washed away by the ocean's waves. This is why barrier islands tend to have beaches on their outer banks, but marshes or mangroves on the inside.

Seagrass meadows are an important, but often overlooked habitat for many marine organisms. Sometimes confused with the hydrilla, water hyacinths, and other aggressive invaders that plague boaters and wildlife alike, seagrasses provide important habitat to many estuarine species. Just like estuaries, they are important nursery grounds for many species of juvenile fish because of the cover that they give against larger predators.

The final habitat described here, coral reefs, is possibly the only one that isn't overlooked, possibly to its woe. Their status as "rain forests of the sea" is well known and millions of tourists and local residents enjoy Florida's coral reefs each year. The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is the most visited gem in our state's collection of state parks with over 500,000 visitors each year. However, just awareness of coral reefs is not enough and theU.S. Coral Reef Task Force has been formed to better protect the coral reefs in our nation.

Educate yourself, stay informed and spread the word.

Participate in training or educational programs that focus on reef ecology. Find out about existing and proposed laws, programs, and projects that could affect coral reefs. When you further your own education, you can help others understand the fragility and value of the world's coral reefs. Share your knowledge with others.

Be an informed consumer.

Only buy marine fish and other seafood when you know they have been collected in an ecologically sound manner. Ask store managers where their seafood comes from and how it was collected. Find out if the exporting country has a management plan to insure the harvest was legal and will be sustainable over time. Check out the Blue Ocean Institute's sustainable seafood guide online athttp://blueocean.org/programs/sustainable-seafood-program/seafood-choices/ to familiarize yourself with sustainable fisheries.

Be a smart consumer.

Shells and coral found in stores were once part of living animals on a reef. These animals are usually destroyed to create products made with shells and coral. If you purchase aquarium fish or corals, make sure they are native to your area and aquaculture-raised and harvested. Non-native, invasive marine animals and plants can be accidentally introduced into the environment, disrupting the natural balance of the reef ecosystem.

Hire local guides when visiting coral reef ecosystems.

This will help you learn about local resources and protect the future of the reef by supporting the local economy.

Be a wastewater crusader!

Make sure that sewage from your boat and home is correctly treated. Excess nutrients in wastewater harm coral reef ecosystems.

Minimize your use of detergents, pesticides and fertilizers.

These products drain into groundwater and ultimately find their way to the ocean. Even if you live hundreds or even thousands of miles from the ocean, remember that you are part of a larger watershed and all rivers, streams, lakes and canals eventually empty into our estuaries, bays and oceans.

Recycle.

Help keep trash out of the oceans and also out of landfills where it can have an adverse impact on water quality in our rivers, bays and oceans.

Conserve water.

Use less water to decrease the amount of runoff and wastewater polluting the ocean and harming coral reefs.

Become a volunteer!

Participate in community coral reef protection and monitoring programs. Volunteer for a reef, beach or shoreline cleanup. If you do not live near a coast, get involved in protecting your watershed.

Report dumping or other illegal activities.

Help be the eyes and ears of the reef! Your involvement can make a big difference. Contact the Florida Department of Environmental Protection by calling 1-800-320-0519 to make a report.

Coral reef protection activities within the Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas are primarily conducted through the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).

• Resource Management

  The CRCP and FKNMS coordinate with other state, county and federal agencies to enforce the Coral Reef Protection Act which provides for restoration funds after groundings, cable drags or anchoring incidents damage natural reefs. Primary restoration is an attempt to restore the site to baseline conditions that existed before the injury so that recovery can begin. Coral colonies or fragments that are recovered may be reattached. Coral nurseries are a source for additional corals, if necessary.

• Mapping and Monitoring

   

  Both the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary conduct research and monitoring activities within their respective areas. FKNMS restoration biologists (CAMA and NOAA staff) regularly provide logistical and scientific support for research and monitoring being conducted in the Keys. Long term water quality and coral monitoring programs have been in place since 1995. The CRCP is currently conducting benthic habitat mapping in southeast Florida.

• Education and Outreach 

  Education and outreach plays a crucial role in protecting coral reefs and their associated natural communities. Many Floridians and visitors to our great state are unaware that their actions are directly tied to the health of the Florida Reef Tract and the plethora of animals that call Florida's reefs home. The CRCP and FKNMS conduct numerous education and outreach efforts for coral reefs such as teacher training, the Coral Reef Classroom, outreach at community events and many more.