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Fort Lauderdale Beach ?The Florida Department of Environmental Protection?s (DEP)
Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), the Broward County Environmental
Protection and Growth Management Department (EPGMD), the National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI)
announced today that staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis), a federally
designated threatened coral species, is thriving off the coast of Broward
County.
?There has been a steady decline of staghorn coral throughout the Florida
Keys and the Caribbean,? said Lee Edmiston, Office of Coastal and Aquatic
Managed Areas (CAMA) Director. ?So we are very fortunate to have one of the
largest and healthiest remaining staghorn coral stands in Florida, right off of
the beaches of Fort Lauderdale.?
Since the late 1970s, staghorn and elkhorn (A. palmata) coral populations
have declined up to 97 percent in the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, Belize,
Jamaica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Researchers identified poor water quality
and white-band disease as the primary causes for this large-scale decline. This
unprecedented loss led to the listing of both species as threatened under the
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2006. The increased awareness generated by
the ESA listing has resulted in more divers taking note of colonies they see and
reporting them to scientists and resource protection agencies.
Today?s tour follows the recent enactment of the Coral Reef Protection Act,
which went into effect on July 1, 2009. Passed during the 2009 Florida
legislative session, the law increases protection of Florida?s vulnerable coral
reefs by raising awareness of damages associated with vessel groundings and
anchoring on coral reefs off the coasts of Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe
and Palm Beach counties. The law also authorizes civil penalties for the
destruction of coral reefs and provides for efficient repair and mitigation of
reef injuries.
?The persistence of such a large and healthy stand of staghorn coral off
Broward County and the incredible assortment of marine life it supports is a
testament to the biological value of southeast Florida?s reefs,? said
Christopher Boykin with DEP?s Coral Reef Conservation Program. ?However, as the
only known example of its kind in our region, this staghorn coral reef is also
vulnerable to impacts from land-based sources of pollution, coastal development
and climate change; underscoring the importance of doing everything we can to
protect it.?
While local, state and federal agencies are working together to protect
Florida?s coral reefs, residents and visitors alike can also help by
implementing four simple tips:
1. Minimize the use of fertilizers, pesticides
and herbicides which can contaminate groundwater and enter coastal waterways.
2.
Dispose of household chemicals at designated hazardous waste facilities, which
can be harmful to the environment if disposed of improperly.
3. Anchor boats in
the sand or tie them up to mooring buoys to minimize damage to coral reefs.
4.
Practice proper weighting and buoyancy when scuba diving, as having neutral
buoyancy when diving prevents divers from being too close to fragile coral and
prevents reef damage.
DEP protects the Florida Reef Tract through the work of the Coral Reef
Conservation Program, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and several
state parks. DEP?s Coral Reef Conservation Program, housed within CAMA, was
established in 2004. CAMA also manages Florida?s three National Estuarine
Research Reserves and 41 Aquatic Preserves. CAMA?s programs and activities are
designed to protect Florida?s most sensitive aquatic resources and help
Floridians better understand and conserve these resources through research,
education and preservation.
For more information on DEP?s Coral Reef Conservation Program, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/programs/coral/.
For more information on DEP?s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas,
visit www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal. |
2012 State of Florida