Julie Cheon, communications manager for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about the sanctuary.
Rising ocean temperatures are continuing to put stress on coral reefs throughout the Florida Keys. Scientists are closely monitoring temperatures at the seafloor, where the coral reefs are actually experiencing the heat.
“We’re moving from the preparation phase to the action phase,” Cheon said. “Our scientists are still closely tracking the temperatures, particularly at the seafloor. Those seafloor temperatures are where the reef is, so that’s where the corals are actually experiencing them.”
Conditions can vary significantly from one reef site to another. Warm water from the bayside can move through channels in the Lower Keys, particularly around the Seven Mile Bridge and Big Pine Key.
“Areas like Looe Key tend to be the warmest, whereas areas a little further north in the Key Largo area don’t get quite as warm,” Cheon said.
But the overall conditions remain concerning.
“Everything right now is too warm for corals at this point,” Cheon said. “We’re beginning to see the effects of accumulated heat stress on the reefs.”
The sanctuary is already seeing some coral bleaching and expects that to continue as the summer progresses.
Sanctuary partners have begun taking action to protect important nursery corals. Some high-value corals have been moved to land-based nurseries, while others have been relocated to deeper or cooler sites where they receive less light.
“One of the ways to kind of take them off of this area that’s just too hot where we’ve learned that they will not survive,” Cheon said.
A new pilot project at Looe Key will also test floating shade structures over part of a coral nursery.
Cheon said the structures are approximately five meters, or about 15 feet, across and are hexagonal in shape. Several can be connected together to create a larger shaded area.
“What we found is it’s not just the heat that affects the coral, but it’s also the light,” Cheon said. “We’ve seen that shading can help reduce light intensity in smaller-scale projects.”
The Looe Key project will be a larger-scale pilot. The structures will shade one portion of the coral nursery while another portion remains unshaded. Scientists will then compare the two areas to determine how differences in light and temperature affect the coral.
“They’re going to check and see how the light and the temperature changes and how the coral responds from one side to the next,” Cheon said.
The structures will be marked with buoys and lights to make them visible to boaters and reduce navigation hazards.
The nursery corals being protected are particularly important because many represent genetically distinct Florida corals that survived previous losses.
“These nursery corals are really important,” Cheon said. “They do represent genetically distinct Florida corals that survive previous losses.”
Scientists and restoration partners learned important lessons during previous heat events and are applying those lessons now.
“We learned in the past you need to act early,” Cheon said.
While officials do not yet know how the remainder of the season will unfold, the sanctuary will continue monitoring conditions closely.
“Conditions will change. It’s winds, it’s currents, weather,” Cheon said. “So we’re just going to keep watching and assessing this, and seeing what comes next.”
The Monroe County School District was recently designated as a NOAA Ocean Guardian School District, which is a big honor. Monroe County is only the second recognized NOAA Ocean Guardian School District in the country and is the largest district with the designation.
“It really depends on the students, the educators, the families, and the partners,” Cheon said. “It’s not simply teaching the students about conservation. The students actually get to participate in the projects.”
One example is a series of native rainwater filtration gardens designed and constructed by students at schools throughout Monroe County. The gardens are intended to reduce stormwater runoff and help prevent contaminants from reaching nearshore waters.
“They really gave students a very tangible way to see how something they do on land ultimately affects water quality,” Cheon said.
The sanctuary is continuing to provide educational resources to teachers, including free NOAA educational materials.
Cheon also encouraged local educators to use the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center as a resource for field trips and classroom learning.
“It’s an awesome place for a field trip,” she said. “It’s a great resource for local educators.”
The center also offers virtual experiences for people who cannot visit in person, including a virtual tour and a mangrove habitat experience.
The sanctuary is also reminding boaters to use caution around marine wildlife. Anyone who sees a manatee they believe may be stranded or in distress should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rather than attempting to move the animal.
The warning comes after several manatees stranded themselves at New Smyrna Beach. Local first responders pushed the animals back into the water, but the effort was not coordinated with wildlife officials.
“It’s very important if you see a manatee stranded or you think they’re stranded, to always contact Fish and Wildlife,” Cheon said.
She said the need for caution is especially important during manatee mating season, when groups known as mating herds can gather in shallow water. A mating herd typically consists of one female and several males, and the animals can appear either very quiet or highly active.
“If you see a manatee and you see something going on, and you’re not sure what’s happening, make sure you call wildlife,” Cheon said. “They’re the pros, and they’ll get it worked out.”
The sanctuary is also urging boaters to watch carefully for sea turtles during nesting season. Sea turtles must surface to breathe but can be difficult to see from a moving boat.
“The short answer is slow down and look around,” Cheon said.
She urged boaters to maintain a good lookout, follow posted speed zones, reduce speed when turtles are present and give them plenty of room.
“If you encounter one, enjoy seeing it, but stay at a respectful distance,” Cheon said. “If you see an injured or stranded sea turtle, report it.”
Responsible boating is one of the easiest ways people can help protect the Keys’ marine wildlife.
“Just being responsible, responsible boating is one of the simplest ways that we can all help protect the wildlife,” Cheon said.
With coral reefs experiencing accumulating heat stress, sanctuary officials are continuing to monitor conditions while taking steps to protect vulnerable nursery corals.
“We know that it’s hot, and we’re going to be working on that, protecting those corals,” Cheon said.
For more information, click here: https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/