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SCIENTISTS
LOOK FOR KEY TO REBUILD CORAL REEF
FT. LAUDERDALE SUN-SENTINEL
SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2000
FRONT
PAGE
By SCOTT
WYMAN
Web-posted:
3:35 a.m. July 8, 2000
When the USS
Memphis attack submarine ran aground near Port Everglades seven years ago, it tore two
long trenches through ancient reefs and left behind an underwater field of rubble where
coral once thrived. Researchers are set to begin the long-awaited restoration of the reef,
promised when Florida reached a $750,000 settlement with the Navy. The work will include a
cutting-edge experiment on building artificial reefs scientists hope pinpoints the best
way to rebuild damaged reefs. In the shallow
waters a mile off Dania Beach, researchers will test the success of transplanting coral
against using iron and a form of algae to encourage coral growth. The goal is to find a
way to shave time off a recovery process that can take up to 50 years. That answer could be vital to the future of the
world's coral reefs because they are increasingly threatened by overfishing, coastal
development, pollution and accidents such as the grounding of the Memphis. County
commissioners are expected to sign a contract on Tuesday with Nova Southeastern University
to conduct the restoration. The project will begin in September.
"Our coral reefs are being degraded worldwide, and we are going to
prevent ships from running aground," said Richard Spieler, a professor at Nova's
Oceanographic Center who will lead the four-year experiment. "But ships will continue
to run aground, so we need to find ways to restore reefs. It's of extreme importance to
our marine ecosystems."
The Memphis slammed into the reef in 24 feet of water on Feb. 25, 1993,
while preparing to conduct tests with the U.S. Naval Warfare Center at the port. The
360-foot attack submarine carved two trenches in the reef and created tons of rubble over
an area half the size of a football field before it dislodged 90 minutes later as the tide
rose. The Navy first claimed national defense exempted it from paying for the damage, but
then agreed in 1997 to the $750,000 settlement. Navy officials blamed the accident on poor
training. The settlement was not enough to pay for traditional restoration of the reef,
said Ken Banks, manager of Broward County's marine resources division. Instead, the county
will stabilize the reef to prevent further damage, add limestone boulders and other
material to create new habitats for fish, and build the artificial reefs as part of the
experiment. With more money, the county would
have filled in the trenches with concrete foundation to mimic the reef structure. Broward's reefs are particularly sensitive because
coral does not thrive here as well as it does in the Keys. The reefs are estimated to be
3,000 to 10,000 years old and are typically covered with stony corals, small star corals
and brain corals. As part of the research,
work crews will place 160 artificial meteor-like concrete balls just east of the reef with
variations of iron, algae and transplanted coral attached. Each ball is about 3 feet in
diameter. Transplanted coral is frequently used in reef restorations, including the work
to repair the damage off Fort Lauderdale that occurred when a Turkish freighter ran
aground in 1994 during Tropical Storm Gordon. Scientists
said red coralline algae also attract baby corals, while iron is being tested because of
the coral growth that is seen on ships. The
hollow balls also have varying sizes of holes and interiors to create different habitats
for fish.
The researchers want to see how different communities of fish affect
coral growth, because even though some fish prey on newly settled coral, there seems to be
a relation between the presence of fish and coral growth.
"If it takes a reef 50 years to regain its coral community once it's
damaged; knocking 10 years off that is gaining a lot," Banks said. "We want our
coral community and fish community back the way it was." Florida's reefs are
important to preventing beach erosion, play a vital role in attracting tourists and
provide a habitat to a wide variety of tropical fish, lobsters and other marine life.
Walter Jaap, a scientist with the Florida Marine Research Institute,
and Laddie Akins, executive director of the Reef Environmental Educational Foundation,
said little work has been done on discerning the best way to restore reefs. "What
they are trying to do is something unique," Jaap said. "When people have
restored reefs, it's kind of a triage-type effort, where you come in after the fact and
try to fix what has happened. But there isn't much analysis of what works best or what has
the greatest effect."
(Click for an enlarged graphic - 677K)
Restoring a Damaged Reef
Scott
Wyman can be reached at swyman@sun-sentinel.com or at 954-356-4511.
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(Click for an enlarged graphic - 677K)