Florida coral reef revived with scientific help

The Miami Herald reports on the success of "farm-raised" coral helping to revive decimated reefs.

For the first time, stands of "farm-raised'" staghorn transplanted to Molasses Reef off Key Largo were caught in the act, providing critical proof that corals cultivated in underwater nurseries can not only survive but do the wild thing.

For researchers, it has raised optimism that they might actually have a shot at slowing, maybe even reversing, decades of staggering loss. Staghorn and elkhorn -- large and spectacular branching corals that once grew in sprawling forests -- have declined by as much as 97 percent along a reef tract stretching from Palm Beach to the Dry Tortugas.

Read the full story: In the Florida Keys, staghorn, elkhorn coral making a comeback

Photo by Timothy O'Hara/The Citizen