Divers and snorkelers can explore a portion of the continental United States’ only coral barrier reef while enjoying a sub-sea concert that promotes reef preservation Saturday, July 10, in the
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VIDEO: Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean for centuries. Scientists have discovered dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of Sargassum, transforming. view more
Credit: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.
For centuries, pelagic Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates, upwelling and nitrogen fixation. Using a unique historical baseline from the 1980s and comparing it to samples collected since 2010, researchers from Florida Atlantic University s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and collaborators have discovered dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of Sargassum, transforming this vibrant living organism into a toxic dead zone.
Sargassum Now Worldâs Largest Harmful Algal Bloom Due to Nitrogen
A photo taken this month shows Sargassum piled up on a beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. (Photo credit: Brian Lapointe, Ph.D.)
For centuries, pelagic
Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates, upwelling and nitrogen fixation. Using a unique historical baseline from the 1980s and comparing it to samples collected since 2010, researchers from Florida Atlantic Universityâs Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and collaborators have discovered dramatic changes in the chemistry and composition of
Benchmarks: November 16, 1990: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is established
by Bethany Augliere Friday, October 12, 2018
Designated in November 1990, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary protects nearly 10,000 square kilometers of ocean surrounding the islands, including North America s only barrier reef. Credit: K. Cantner, AGI.
Off the tip of the Florida Peninsula lies the world’s third-largest living coral reef, the Great Florida Reef. The only barrier reef system in North America, it is composed of a system of individual reefs that together extend 270 kilometers south of Miami through the Florida Keys, a crescent-shaped chain of more than 1,500 islands, about 30 of which are inhabited. This ecological treasure is home to more than 6,000 species of marine life, including colorful fish and endangered sea turtles, as well as extensive seagrass beds, mangrove islands and about 1,000 shipwrecks.
SUMMERLAND KEY – Dr. David Vaughan, one of the scientists who pioneered the technique of microfragmentation as a way to reduce the time it takes to rebuild coral reefs, always said he wanted to plant a million corals before he retired.
The 67-year-old scientist, who began part-time as director at Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration in 2018, ultimately retired that year to start the nonprofit Plant a Million Corals Foundation.
The week surrounding Earth Day 2021 marked the limited release of “Active Coral Restoration: Techniques for a Changing Planet,” a book he edited and co-wrote with dozens of contributing authors.