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The Florida Aquarium - 30 Years

Coral Program Achievements

Hope for Coral Reef Restoration

As the leader in Atlantic coral reproduction and reef recovery, The Florida Aquarium has made international headlines, achieving historic breakthroughs with the first-ever lab spawning of Atlantic pillar, ridged cactus, elkhorn, and more than ten other coral species.

Coral reproduction is now extremely difficult, if not impossible, for most Atlantic coral species in the natural world. However, our Coral Conservation Program is capable of producing thousands of genetically diverse and healthy coral larvae annually. By sharing these with partners to advance resiliency science and rearing babies for reef restoration, we strive to create a strong foundation for restoration practices that benefit marine ecosystems worldwide.

Our Goals

Protection

Prevent extinction by maintaining healthy broodstock & preserving genetic diversity.

Reproduction

Use assisted reproduction to support propagation & manage populations.

Rearing

Improve juvenile coral survival & reliably co-culture herbivores.

Restoration

Refine outplant techniques & integrate herbivore releases.

Collaboration

Establish a healthy nursery-to-reef pipeline via strategic partnerships.

Our Successes

  • Care for >300 rescued corals and >5,000 juvenile corals annually
  • Spawn >14 species of coral
  • Support the world’s largest collection of endangered Atlantic pillar corals
  • Reproduce & raise >2500 long-spined sea urchins
  • Rear corals produced with cryopreserved sperm

Watch Coral Spawn Video

  • Develop techniques to care for, feed, and medically treat coral species
  • Genetically profile all broodstock corals
  • Form partnerships & obtain grants to develop coral cryopreservation techniques, increase genetic diversity & advance resiliency via selective reproduction
  • Co-culture herbivores with coral babies to reduce algae growth
  • Develop predator protection devices for babies

  • Induced the first spawning of Atlantic coral with 14 species now in reproduction
  • Expanded our Coral Conservation & Research Center to a total of 9,000 sq ft
  • Provided >20,000 corals to partner nurseries and researchers
  • Serve on international working groups

Testimonials

“Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s (FWC) partnership with FLAQ is proof of what can be accomplished with public-private partnerships working towards a common goal for restoration of the Florida Reef Tract. The FWC recognizes that continued support for the groundbreaking work that FLAQ is doing with both corals and other coral reef-related species is essential to meeting State of Florida coral reef restoration priorities.”

-Lisa Gregg, Program & Policy Coordinator Division of Marine Fisheries Management

“The Florida Aquarium has been an important partner to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The Aquarium's leadership in expertly caring for 117 of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s rescued corals and sexually reproducing them to provide genetically adaptable corals is critical for future reef restoration. The Aquarium’s role in the management and restoration of Florida’s Coral Reef, including Mission: Iconic Reefs, will be integral to our success.”

-Sarah Fangman, Superintendent of NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

“The world-class husbandry and lab-induced spawning being used at The Florida Aquarium is changing the way we think about protection and restoration of threatened coral species. Our partnership over the years has yielded amazing results and we look forward to continuing to cross new conservation thresholds with their ground-breaking techniques.”

-Jennifer Moore, Protected Coral Recovery Coordinator, Southeast Region NOAA Fisheries U.S. Department of Commerce

Our Future

In 2026, we will open our Living Laboratory Classroom which will become the premier professional development center for coral care, reproduction, and rearing.

The facility will help us share the Aquarium’s expertise and success in reproducing genetically diverse corals using advanced methods.

Our collaborations in the United States, Cuba, Curaçao, Honduras, and the United Arab Emirates provide valuable insights to advance coral conservation efforts around the globe.

We will serve as the host facility for the IUCN Coral Center for Species Survival, bringing together an international panel of experts in coral research, restoration, and conservation.

Known for our ability to turn cutting-edge coral care, welfare, and reproduction concepts into scientific progress, we can further develop and apply our knowledge, collaborative approach, and innovative strategies to help restore reefs worldwide.

By forming an interdisciplinary working group, we can use modern technologies to lower the cost per coral and improve the productivity, resilience, and survival of coral offspring.

Make a Difference for Coral

The Florida Aquarium’s ground-breaking work in coral reproduction and rearing is more important than ever in the face of the reef’s changing conditions and would not be possible without the generosity of many, including you.

Partners in Coral Reef Restoration

The Florida Aquarium uses a comprehensive conservation approach that amplifies our expertise, leverages partnerships, and maximizes our ability to create a strong foundation for reef restoration practices that benefit marine ecosystems worldwide. This work cannot be done alone, and we are proud to partner with the following agencies and organizations.