Growing Staghorn Coral to Replenish Florida Keys Reefs

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George Price and Sheree Price - 04 Aug 2007 03:27 GMT

I saw this article about these people growing staghorn coral and
transplantiing it on reefs in the upper keys.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20077690/

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kryppy@gmail.com - 05 Aug 2007 01:00 GMT

>I saw this article about these people growing staghorn coral and
>transplantiing it on reefs in the upper keys.
>
>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20077690/

HA, thanks for posting this. I know Ken, and a friend purchases fish
and inverts from him. I am hoping to dive his live rock lease and take
some pictures in a few weeks. The concrete 'jacks' they are using are
out there are pretty funny looking.

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George Price - 05 Aug 2007 08:35 GMT

>>I saw this article about these people growing staghorn coral and
>>transplantiing it on reefs in the upper keys.
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> some pictures in a few weeks. The concrete 'jacks' they are using are
> out there are pretty funny looking.

Although my first thought is that this guy has pillaged the reef system for
some time with his business, he has found a new and unique way of restoring
some of the coral. It does not seem as if this would have happened if he
was not doing this sort of businesses; finding out something no one knew
that would benefit the reef system he has seemed to take from over the
years. It's nice to see he giving back in a way no one knew could happen;
it seems to be a big advance in reef restoration, particularly if they can
get other corals to propagate.

I was on a dive many years ago spotting poachers on Davis reef, and the
vicinity, where they were taking what was left of some pillar coral in the
area, so when I first saw this, I figured he was one of many out there that
was destroying the reef for profit, but now has found a way to put it back.

Good for him.

He seems to have hopefully hit on some new research that will be very
helpful to restoring reef systems worldwide: that's about as big as it gets.

George

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kryppy@gmail.com - 05 Aug 2007 22:32 GMT

>Although my first thought is that this guy has pillaged the reef system for
>some time with his business, he has found a new and unique way of restoring
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>He seems to have hopefully hit on some new research that will be very
>helpful to restoring reef systems worldwide: that's about as big as it gets.

I didn't think this story would be very popular, but in reality these
collectors ( I actually know a few down there in the Keys) take a
pretty limited amount of species that reproduce very quickly, mostly
fish. I'm not sure why they mention the 'potential windfall' because
I really doubt they could sell the coral whether it came from the
rocks they put on their leases or not. The FWC would make no
distinction on the boat or in the holding tanks, and they all get
inspected on the water very regularly as they are known. It isn't much
different from sport fishing I believe.

I think land based pollution, development and the rising CO2 leading
to a drop in ocean PH is a far greater threat, but the coral has
survived for a really long time, long enough that the ground under my
feet is made of coral rock, and it did managed to survive what ever
caused Florida to come up out of the ocean.

I don't really think this is ground breaking research as I also know a
local aquaculturer with far greater success growing all sorts of coral
and various inverts quite successfully. It is interesting that the
coral has decided to actually relocate to a shallow sandy area on its
own though. It would make a great place for an artificial reef it
would seem. Perhaps this will lead to a better understanding of
coral/ocean dynamics and any information is good IMO, whether it can
actually be applied is anyones guess, but long after humans are gone I
think the coral will still be out there.

Hopefully my young daughter will be able to enjoy more than my
pictures of healthy reefs in the future!

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George Price - 06 Aug 2007 05:43 GMT

>>Although my first thought is that this guy has pillaged the reef system
>>for
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
> actually be applied is anyones guess, but long after humans are gone I
> think the coral will still be out there.

Who is the aquaculture with greater success?

I'm afraid if humans are gone, the planet will lose 95% of it's
life...marine and land based: either by nuclear radiation/fallout, a big
asteroid/ comet hit (the Cretaceous dinosaur extintiction), or a super
eruption of a caldera (Toba lowered the world population to a supposed 3000
humans: this event created the "bottle neck" in DNA mutaion rates ). By the
way, Yellowstone is due within the next 100K years to blow again (actually
it's overdue, and the rise in land ellevation due to the bulge is now well
documented)

It seems just about the most reliable survivors are cockroaches, and the
bacteria and sea life miles deep around the black smoker vents.
But before, it was the small mammals that had survived the dinosaur
extinction, and evolved in who we are today. We now have in place
government installations to try to survive a mass extinction, and then it
would seem something along the human existence of the Planet of the Apes
could actually take place..who knows what kind of science experiment that
would be? Having a select group of humans trapped underground in their
habitat to come up with the future of humanity? Who knows, and I hope it
does not happen in my lifetime, or my children's, children.

> Hopefully my young daughter will be able to enjoy more than my
> pictures of healthy reefs in the future!

Any way of growing transplantable coral is outstanding, and it sounds like
they are on the right track, and the research is expanding.
It's a very positive initiative; I hope they sustain it.

George

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