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  • The Nature Conservancy has worked with a local aquarium supplier to develop a staghorn coral nursery in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
    © Ken Nedimyer
  • Researchers are hoping to use the nursery to recharge declining coral reefs.
    © Ken Nedimyer
  • Staghorn coral fragments in the nursery are growing new tissue.
    © Ken Nedimyer
  • Researchers position the coral fragments at different depths to expose them to different temperatures.
    © Ken Nedimyer
  • The researchers measure coral growth to find colonies that thrive in harsher conditions. These heartier corals will be reproduced.
    © Ken Nedimyer
  • Conservancy staff and volunteers assemble “EcoReef” modules that will be deployed at restoration sites.
    © Meaghan Johnson
  • The coral restoration project, one of the first of its kind, has already seen positive results: this staghorn coral was grown from fragments collected in the wild.
    © Ken Nedimyer
Building a Better Coral
Staghorn Coral