Preserving the Oceans’ ‘Rain Forests’

Often called the “rain forests of the sea,” coral reefs provide sustenance for more than 25 percent of the earth’s known marine species, are home to thousands of fish and other sea animals and plants, and are a source of new medicines for a variety of diseases. But these delicate ecosystems are in a massive state of decline throughout the world, due to overfishing, pollution and ocean warming.

With the world having lost one-fifth of its coral reefs in the past few decades, scientists predict if present rates of destruction continue, 70 percent of the planet’s reefs will disappear in our lifetime. “When we lose a reef system, we’re also losing all the resources that go along with the reefs,” says Brad Rosov, marine conservation program manager at the Nature Conservancy of Florida Keys. “Coral reefs provide food that sustains hundreds of millions of people. They’re also a major source of income for coastal communities from tourism, and they protect the shoreline from waves.”

Also, coral reefs are sometimes called the medicine cabinet of the 21st century, because they’re a source of new medicines being developed to treat everything from cancer to arthritis and H.I.V. The health of the reefs and the sea animals that populate them directly impacts the health of human beings.

Learning From the “Tough Guys”

Funded in part by the Darden Environmental Trust, a joint project of The Nature Conservancy, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Florida Department of Natural Resources is trying to reverse this trend by identifying “resilient corals,” which may hold the key to protecting and preserving fragile coral ecosystems. Marine scientists aren’t sure why these reefs survive, but by learning what makes them heartier than others they hope to develop strategies to protect reefs.

The project represents a paradigm shift in the scientific community. “Reefs are dying worldwide, but rather than just look at why they’re dying, we’re looking at the sturdy ‘tough guy’ corals to see why they survive,” says Brad.

The idea is that resilient corals may someday be able to replenish damaged reefs. “When coral spawn, they release millions of larvae that travel and settle in other areas. We want to find pockets of resilient coral and ensure networks of these pockets that can supply each other with larvae, like a little conveyer belt ensuring that the next generation of coral and fish will be there,” Brad says.

This kind of research has long-term implications for the health of oceans and marine life, a key focus of the Darden Environmental Trust. “Darden takes a long-range view and understands the need to invest in innovative front-end environmental research projects such as this one,” says Hans Kairies, associate director of Philanthropy for the Florida chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “We’re grateful for Darden’s support as we move forward with this important project.”