Corals transplanted from Florida lab to Atlantic waters
FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Researchers are hoping some lab-raised corals will thrive in the Atlantic Ocean off South Florida.
The staghorn coral specimens have been raised over the last 18 months in 400-gallon tanks at the National Coral Reef Institute at Nova Southeastern University.
On Friday, researchers transplanted 28 corals into the waters off Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Staghorn coral is a threatened species. It once formed the foundation of barrier reefs that stretched from Florida into the Caribbean until massive coral die-offs over the last 30 years.
Researchers hope the coral transplants will help efforts to restore and preserve damaged reefs.
Nova Southeastern marine biologist Abby Renegar tells The Miami Herald that the university already plans to triple the size of its onshore coral nursery.
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