(WSVN) - Protecting Florida’s coral reefs has been a key issue for years. But now, a local artist may have come up with a solution that could be a game changer.
7’s Heather Walker shows us in today’s 7 Spotlight.
Coral can be beautiful to look at, but it serves a much bigger purpose.
Shelby Thomas/Ocean Rescue Alliance International: “Without our reefs, we really lose these cities of the ocean that support our whole livelihood here in South Florida, especially here in Miami.”
Shelby Thomas is the founder of Ocean Rescue Alliance International. Her non-profit focuses on protecting coral reefs along our shores.
Shelby Thomas: “Many people, especially recently, have realized we’ve been losing a lot of our corals here in Florida due to a variety of different things.”
The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration estimates Florida has lost 90% of its corals since the late 1970s.
Shelby Thomas: “Disease is one of the primary causes as well as warming temperatures.”
Over the years, there have been a variety of attempts to save our coral.
There are coral nurseries just offshore. They have tried old boats, concrete and even tires as a way to protect the reefs.
But now, there’s a new product being produced in a warehouse in Allapattah.
Shelby Thomas: “This is our brand new coral lab.”
While there are many coral labs, this lab is different because each baby coral is growing on what is called a Coral Lok.
Shelby Thomas: “You can simply screw it in like a bolt.”
What makes this product so promising is that in a few seconds, each new coral can be attached to these bases.
Each one can plant 10 to 20 corals at a time.
Shelby Thomas: “This base that we make that is artificial is like creating the skeleton for the coral, so they don’t have to do as much work.”
And that’s the key. Each piece of new coral is very sensitive. Its future depends on how it’s treated and the Coral Lock allows less handling during the transplant process.
Shelby Thomas: “So it makes it a lot more seamless in terms of the amount of times you have to touch the coral, as well as the training because now we’re not having to spend time underwater messing with cements and epoxies for every single coral we’re touching, and a ten-year-old can screw in a coral.”
Coral Lok was invented by Chris O’Hare, a sculptor turned environmentalist.
The Ocean Rescue Alliance International has helped turn his idea into design and now has more than a dozen Coral Loks made specifically to protect different corals.
Shelby Thomas: “We are getting everything set up and ready to start putting water in and then we’re going to have corals within the next month.”
It will take about nine months to determine if this small device is the key to saving our coral.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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