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This image shows the striated cactus coral alongside a close-up of a larva.
The Florida Aquarium
Florida Aquarium scientists celebrate a special moment in coral reproduction. Earlier this month, they witnessed the first spawning of cactus corals in human care.
A revealing video shows the action as the larvae floated freely.
Coral reefs around the world are dying. Climate change is a factor, but Florida’s reefs have also been hit hard by stony coral tissue loss disease, which skeletonizes coral colonies.
The larvae in the video are from healthy corals kept in laboratory conditions. The aquarium said this is the first time that cactus coral larvae have been photographed or measured.
Small corals can swim immediately. “They are a melancholic coral, which means their sperm are released into the water, but their eggs are not, and fertilization and larval development occur within the original coral,” the aquarium said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Florida Reef Reef, sometimes referred to as “America’s Great Barrier Reef,” covers a span of 360 miles (580 km) and arches along the Florida Keys. The Florida Aquarium is raising coral through its coral conservation program. Some of the spawns are returned to the sea to help restore reef colonies.
“These advances give us hope that the 24-hour work we are doing will make a difference to help conserve this species and save these animals from extinction,” said chief coral scientist Keri O’Neil.
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