Severe coral reef degradation throughout Florida’s Coral Reef has resulted in >90% coral cover loss since the 1980s and actively threatens the identity, culture, and economy of this region. This reality has spurred the development and rapid expansion of in-water coral propagation and outplanting activities intended to restore live coral cover; unfortunately, restoration has been unable to keep up with the rate of ecosystem decline as evidenced by widespread coral bleaching and mortality earlier this year. Overcoming this immense problem requires an adaptive approach involving novel ecological intervention strategies.
One such strategy is re-establishing missing functional herbivory to prevent competitive overgrowth of corals by fast growing benthic algae. This presentation will detail the development of a network of collaborators making efforts to increase abundance of the long spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum, a formerly abundant keystone reef herbivore, through intensive aquaculture. Juvenile transport and grow-out investigations that occurred in both in-water and land-based enclosures will be discussed, along with future directions and opportunities for upscaling the program.