SOFIA - SFRSF - Coastal Ecosystems - What's Happening to the Reef Tract & Why? Declining Since 1975

Last updated: June 25, 2003

The Florida Keys: What is happening to the reef tract and why?

Poster presented May 1999, at the South Florida Restoration Science Forum

Poster presented by: Dr. Eugene Shinn, USGS; Margaret Miller of NOAA

Part 1: Florida Coral Reefs: Declining Since 1975

Overview:
Corals in the Florida Keys: Here are some observations of Florida Keys corals over the past 30+ years. Eugene Shinn has been visiting the same coral heads documenting changes in their health, size, and shape as well as changes in the surrounding environments of these coral heads.

USEPA Study: An USEPA funded study was conducted in the Florida Keys to document changes over a period of years to note if reefs are getting healthier, remaining the same, or declining. The conclusion is that reefs are in a decline and that the occurrence of diseases among corals has been rising. Some common reef diseases are displayed.

Corals In The Florida Keys
Observations And Photography Of Coral Species During The Past 30+ Years

Carysfort Reef (Click on photos below for a full-sized version.)
Star Coral (Montastrea annularis)	Brain Coral (Diploria sp.)
1960	1960
1971	1971
1986	1986
1998	1988
These coral were flourishing until about 1975. By 1986 they were in decline and by 1998 they were mostly dead.	1998

Serial photographs taken by Eugene Shinn, USGS

Grecian Rocks
(Click on photos below for a full-sized version.)

Star And Staghorn Coral
(Montastrea sp. and Acropora cervicornis)

Star Coral 1961 Staghorn Coral 1965

Star And Staghorn Coral

1971

1976 1980

1978 1988

1979 1992

This star coral was growing in 1961 following hurricane Donna. By 1965 it was being encroached upon by fast growing staghorn coral and by 1978 it was almost smothered by staghorn coral. In 1979 the staghorn began to die and was dead by 1988. By 1998 the area was populated by sea fans and sea whips. The original star coral is barely alive. 1998

Brain Coral (Colpophyllia natans) (Click on photos below for a full-sized version.)
1959	1988
This brain coral was flourishing in 1959. By 1988 it was in decline and by 1998 it was mostly dead.	1998

Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
Florida Keys Coral Reef Study
(Click on any image below to view a full-sized version.)

This study of 40 different sites in the Florida Keys began in 1994/1995. Between 1996 and 1997 the percent of coral cover had declined at most sites.

Graph of mean stony coral cover.

Coral diseases have been rampant in the past 20 years. Here are four examples...there may be more.
(Click on the photos below for a full-sized version.)

Black Band Disease

Bleached Corals

White Disease (White Plaque)

Other Diseases (Ring Bleaching)

This EPA funded research was conducted by several researchers:

Walter Jaap and Jennifer Wheaton, Fla. Dept. of Environmental Protection
Phillip Dustan, College of Charleston, South Carolina
James Porter, University of Georgia
Ouida Meier, Western Kentucky University

Coral Mortality and African Dust (from the Center for Coastal Geology website)

Satellite images of airborne dust coming off of the west coast of Africa (from the Center for Coastal Geology website)

Dust Storms (from the Operational Significant Event Imagery website)

Dust Storms in Western Africa (from the Operational Significant Event Imagery website)

A Giant Sediment Trap in the Florida Keys (from the Center for Coastal Geology website)

Next: Reef Decline - it is lots of things

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal Geology
This page is: http://sofia.usgs.gov/sfrsf/rooms/coastal/flbay/index.html
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Last updated: 25 June, 2003 @ 05:02 PM (HSH)