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U.S. aquariums try to save Florida corals as disease spreads
SEPT. 13, 2019 / 3:00 AM
By Paul Brinkmann
ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Aquariums around the United States are helping to preserve coral species from the Florida Reef, saving them from a deadly disease that is killing major portions of the undersea ecosystem.
At stake is the survival of species on the third-longest barrier reef in the world, which the U.S. Geological Survey says not only is dying, but also eroding. Scientists in 2014 found a new affliction, stony coral tissue loss disease, was ravaging the reef.
The 200-mile-long barrier helps protect Florida and the Keys from waves at a time when climate change is believed to be causing more frequent and more severe hurricanes. The federal government estimates the reef's value at $8.5 billion in terms of shoreline protection, tourism and fishing impact.
About 100 Florida coral colonies are now living in a display tank at Moody Gardens aquarium in Galveston, Texas, one of a dozen new homes for the invertebrate animal colonies. At first, it was envisioned that aquariums in Florida would take the corals, but that grew quickly this year to include a dozen others around the nation.
More:
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/09/13/US-aquariums-try-to-save-Florida-corals-as-disease-spreads/9961568210880/?sl=1&ur3=1