“Coral reefs are critical ecosystems for sustaining the integrity of our marine habitats, natural resources and species, as well as for protecting our coastal areas. The decline of our coral reef systems from climate change and other human related impacts has serious consequences to the health and well-being of people and nature and requires that we take bold actions to transform the rate and scale of coral conservation,” said Temperince Morgan, Director of The Nature Conservancy in Florida. "We are excited to be joining forces with our Caribbean Program and Mote to step up to this challenge in an unprecedented way by applying our extensive experience in coral restoration to further develop and apply the science needed to conserve one of the most valued and threatened marine habitats in the world.” The Nature Conservancy is an international conservation organization working to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. Throughout the Caribbean and Florida, the Conservancy has worked with their partners to advance science-based conservation actions that include establishing coral nurseries and planting over 15,000 coral colonies from the nurseries onto reefs over the past 12 years in the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas and U.S. Virgin Islands. These coral nurseries span from the Florida Keys all the way down to Grenada and are part of the largest restoration project of its kind. By combining forces, two of the world’s foremost independent marine research and conservation organizations will launch an innovative, international coral reef restoration initiative, giving Caribbean and Florida Keys coral reefs a better chance to survive and deliver ecological and economic benefits to future generations.Key goals for the one-year agreement and onward
-Now through September 2017: The one-year MOU will help Mote and Conservancy staff secure additional coral restoration permits, plan their reef restoration initiative for the coming years, fundraise collaboratively and grow approximately 50,000 fragments of various coral species at Mote’s facilities in the Florida Keys and the Conservancy’s facilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Partners will focus on selecting coral strains resilient to increasing water temperatures, ocean acidification and disease. In early 2017, Mote will enhance these efforts by opening its new coral reef research facility on Summerland Key.
-By 2020: A networked coral gene bank of threatened Caribbean and Florida coral species will be established and accumulate genetically identified coral tissue samples as “insurance” against climate change and near-term catastrophic events for reefs, such as widespread bleaching, diseases and oil spills. Efforts will include enhancing or expanding coral nurseries and adding gene banks to Mote and Conservancy facilities in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, respectively. Mote and Conservancy staff will forge and advance international partnerships for upcoming coral restoration in priority locations including Cuba and the Bahamas.
-By 2025: Mote and Conservancy staff plan to work with U.S. and international partners to restore corals at unprecedented rates for the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Goals include planting one million coral fragments in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Florida Keys and 500,000 in at least three other Caribbean nations. The partners aim to establish a new, permanent coral restoration facility in St. Croix to be jointly operated by Conservancy and Mote staff. They will also complete training of key local personnel working at U.S. and international coral restoration areas, and in the process, disseminate state-of-the-art coral science, conservation and restoration practices around the Caribbean.
Mote and the Conservancy will work together and leverage their ongoing research and community engagement programs to secure the philanthropic investments needed to implement these innovative programs for restoring coral reefs and engaging local communities to lead in these efforts.
Mote is already working with middle- and high school students in its Coral Research and Conservation Program that the Lab spearheaded with EARTHANGLE Inc. Now, the MOU between Mote and the Conservancy will help expand this program, with the ultimate goal of educating and engaging more students and their communities in coral reef conservation and restoration activities in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida Keys. Support coral reef restoration and research
-Donate to Mote: Please contact Erin Kabinoff at 941-388-4441, ext. 415 [email protected] -Donate to The Nature Conservancy in Caribbean: Please contact Lisa Price at 307-690-0920 or visit: http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/caribbean/giving/index.htm -Donate to The Nature Conservancy in Florida: Please call 407-682-3664 or visit: support.nature.org/florida