A first: Farm-raised coral spawns in the wild off Florida Keys

From an article on Underwater Times:

KEY LARGO, Florida Keys -- Students working with marine scientists in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary have documented the first known case where Atlantic-Caribbean, farm-raised coral have reproduced to serve as a foundation for future reefs.

The discovery is significant because it proves that cultured staghorn corals can not only survive, but also reach sexual maturity and naturally help with coral restoration, marine researchers said.

“This is real exciting because this is the future of trying to rebuild these reefs,” said Ken Nedimyer, president of the Coral Restoration Foundation and has been involved in coral restoration projects for the past nine years. “What we’re trying to do is to put the girls and the boys back together in the same room so they’ll make babies.”

Both staghorn, as well as elkhorn corals, are classifed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act and historically are primary reef-building corals in Florida and the Caribbean, said Billy Causey, southeast regional director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s marine sanctuaries.