Florida's Reefs
Adjacent to the 126 mile stretch of the Florida Keys island chain, the coral reef tract of the Keys is the third most extensive barrier reef in the world and the only living barrier reef in North America. The 2,800 square nautical mile Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) surrounds the entire archipelago of the Florida Keys at the southern most point of the Florida peninsula and includes productive waters of Florida Bay, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Coral reef environments like this one are the marine equivalent of tropical rainforests in that they sustain great biological diversity, and hold enormous ecological and economic value. However, reefs are delicate ecosystems which can easily be harmed by human activity and which are under threat from global climate change. Effective conservation of coral reefs is vital to ensure the future health of coral reefs.
The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was established because these reef were, and still are, being degraded by the activities of humans. In the late 1950s the public started to notice that pollution, over harvesting and physical impacts were contributing to the demise of these reefs. While many actions have been taken over the years to protect this very unique ecosystem, the deterioration of the marine environment in the Florida Keys has not ceased. There is still a clear decline of healthy corals, signaled by an increase in coral diseases and coral bleaching for example, which has led to decreased live coral cover. Algae has invaded seagrass beds and coral reefs and fish stocks are declining. The future of the Keys marine environment may not seem too positive, but with additional scientific understanding there is hope that the coral reefs of the Florida Keys may someday be restored.
OVERALL AIMS:
Education and outreach - an important component of the Living Ocean Foundation’s guiding principal “Science Without Borders”
Stimulate and inspire young marine scientists through exciting live webcasts
Conduct coral reef research
OBJECTIVES:
Provide an unparalleled opportunity and experience for university teachers and students by creating a marine science classroom underwater while simultaneously engaging students back in the university classroom through webcast technology.
Extend this unique educational experience to the public through outreach with informal science centers, aquaria, museums, webcast providers, and other schools/school broadcast networks.
