Divers re-plant corals that once flourished in Florida Keys
RAMROD KEY, Fla. — A coral species that once thrived, but died as a result of coral bleaching is being reintroduced to Florida’s Coral Reef.
If you’ve ever snorkeled or dived in the Florida Keys in the 1970s or 80s then you might remember seeing swaths of impressive elkhorn corals.
Healthy elkhorn coral.
Elkhorn coral thickets were historically abundant until recent years, when they died off due to disease and bleaching events, according to researchers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Coral Research Program.
The species of coral was nearly wiped out of population and Florida...