Fighting to Save Coral in the Florida Keys | National Geographic

the corals are the the trees of the

the corals are the the trees of the forest if you don’t have trees you don’t

forest if you don’t have trees you don’t

forest if you don’t have trees you don’t have a force if you don’t have corals

have a force if you don’t have corals

have a force if you don’t have corals building a reef you’re not gonna have

building a reef you’re not gonna have

building a reef you’re not gonna have habitats the reefs of the Florida Keys

habitats the reefs of the Florida Keys

habitats the reefs of the Florida Keys are not going to be able to keep up with

are not going to be able to keep up with

are not going to be able to keep up with rapid sea level rise it’s a stressful

rapid sea level rise it’s a stressful

rapid sea level rise it’s a stressful time on

so my obsession for the last 10 years is

so my obsession for the last 10 years is you know how can we grow a lot of

you know how can we grow a lot of

you know how can we grow a lot of quarrel in a short period of time and

quarrel in a short period of time and

quarrel in a short period of time and then how can we train you know an army

then how can we train you know an army

then how can we train you know an army of people doing this in Florida

of people doing this in Florida

of people doing this in Florida throughout the Caribbean throughout the

throughout the Caribbean throughout the

throughout the Caribbean throughout the world and what we do our first

world and what we do our first

world and what we do our first collection of any genetic strain it goes

collection of any genetic strain it goes

collection of any genetic strain it goes in the nursery and stays in the nursery

in the nursery and stays in the nursery

in the nursery and stays in the nursery you could pick the perfect coral to work

you could pick the perfect coral to work

you could pick the perfect coral to work with it would be staghorn or Elkhorn

with it would be staghorn or Elkhorn

with it would be staghorn or Elkhorn coral because they grow really fast you

coral because they grow really fast you

coral because they grow really fast you can cut them into you know pinky size

can cut them into you know pinky size

can cut them into you know pinky size little branches and hang them on the

little branches and hang them on the

little branches and hang them on the tree they’re easy to replant on the reef

tree they’re easy to replant on the reef

tree they’re easy to replant on the reef it just works

it just works

it just works you know those two corals are more

you know those two corals are more

you know those two corals are more trouble than any other corals in the

trouble than any other corals in the

trouble than any other corals in the Caribbean they have the most potential

Caribbean they have the most potential

Caribbean they have the most potential to to have a recovery in our lifetime

to to have a recovery in our lifetime

to to have a recovery in our lifetime you try replanting a reef with what we

you try replanting a reef with what we

you try replanting a reef with what we think are may be heat-resistant corals

think are may be heat-resistant corals

think are may be heat-resistant corals or disease resistant corals heat stress

or disease resistant corals heat stress

or disease resistant corals heat stress is primarily the thing that gets them I

is primarily the thing that gets them I

is primarily the thing that gets them I mean there’s a lot of different people

mean there’s a lot of different people

mean there’s a lot of different people doing written different research as far

doing written different research as far

doing written different research as far as why a coral is resistant to heat

I’ve been at this for eight or nine

I’ve been at this for eight or nine years now we’re starting to generate

years now we’re starting to generate

years now we’re starting to generate some evidence that some corals have the

some evidence that some corals have the

some evidence that some corals have the ability to fight back looking for

ability to fight back looking for

ability to fight back looking for colonies that showed signs of bleaching

colonies that showed signs of bleaching

colonies that showed signs of bleaching and we’re driving numbered stakes

and we’re driving numbered stakes

and we’re driving numbered stakes alongside them and then we’ll take

alongside them and then we’ll take

alongside them and then we’ll take little clippings of tissue and analyze

little clippings of tissue and analyze

little clippings of tissue and analyze those he purposely took bleach pieces

those he purposely took bleach pieces

those he purposely took bleach pieces yeah we did some laboratory experiments

yeah we did some laboratory experiments

yeah we did some laboratory experiments where we tried to induce bleaching and

where we tried to induce bleaching and

where we tried to induce bleaching and corals where we increased the

corals where we increased the

corals where we increased the temperature of the water up to 30 31

temperature of the water up to 30 31

temperature of the water up to 30 31 degrees and we held those conditions for

degrees and we held those conditions for

degrees and we held those conditions for two months which is like the maximum

two months which is like the maximum

two months which is like the maximum duration in nature and would have

duration in nature and would have

duration in nature and would have normally resulted in high death of

normally resulted in high death of

normally resulted in high death of corals but it didn’t

when they get stressed out we’re finding

when they get stressed out we’re finding that corals can actually feed on

that corals can actually feed on

that corals can actually feed on plankton from the water column and

plankton from the water column and

plankton from the water column and they’re using that food to store energy

they’re using that food to store energy

they’re using that food to store energy or fat reserves we’re finding they

or fat reserves we’re finding they

or fat reserves we’re finding they completely can make up for what they’ve

completely can make up for what they’ve

completely can make up for what they’ve lost at least temporarily so good

lost at least temporarily so good

lost at least temporarily so good analogy is a backup generator that they

analogy is a backup generator that they

analogy is a backup generator that they can turn on when they’ve lost their

can turn on when they’ve lost their

can turn on when they’ve lost their primary source the important part of the

primary source the important part of the

primary source the important part of the field right now is understanding are

field right now is understanding are

field right now is understanding are there species that are going to be able

there species that are going to be able

there species that are going to be able to bounce back from that stress so the

to bounce back from that stress so the

to bounce back from that stress so the future of reefs it’s really an open

future of reefs it’s really an open

future of reefs it’s really an open question right now they’ve been around

question right now they’ve been around

question right now they’ve been around for 200 million years and they’ve

for 200 million years and they’ve

for 200 million years and they’ve survived at least eight glacial

survived at least eight glacial

survived at least eight glacial interglacial cycles and some other huge

interglacial cycles and some other huge

interglacial cycles and some other huge extinction events what’s unique is that

extinction events what’s unique is that

extinction events what’s unique is that the climate change event that

the climate change event that

the climate change event that precipitated those happened as much as

precipitated those happened as much as

precipitated those happened as much as ten or a hundred times more slowly than

ten or a hundred times more slowly than

ten or a hundred times more slowly than we think is going on now people ask me a

we think is going on now people ask me a

we think is going on now people ask me a lot why am I doing this and I just I

lot why am I doing this and I just I

lot why am I doing this and I just I feel like we can buy a lot of time by

feel like we can buy a lot of time by

feel like we can buy a lot of time by intervening now but if we don’t do

intervening now but if we don’t do

intervening now but if we don’t do something now when we have the

something now when we have the

something now when we have the opportunity then we won’t have the

opportunity then we won’t have the

opportunity then we won’t have the opportunity in 20 or 30 years we won’t

opportunity in 20 or 30 years we won’t

opportunity in 20 or 30 years we won’t be able to start doing a lot of this

be able to start doing a lot of this

be able to start doing a lot of this because we will have lost too much