ORLANDO, Fla. – Four years after the Florida Coral Rescue Center opened in Orlando, researchers said they are seeing great progress in their efforts to save the state’s coral reefs from possible extinction.

“Everybody needs to be working together to be able to accomplish this Herculean goal,” Dr. Andy Stamper said.

Stamper, the conservation science manager for Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, has been at the FCRC since the beginning.

“Disney has been very proud to be able to help sponsor this, but working with all these various groups of government, private, non-government, the public, has all been extremely rewarding, and I’ve been surprised on how well it’s worked,” he told News 6.

The organizations include: SeaWorld; NOAA; Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Association of Zoos and Aquariums; Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida; and more.

“Coral reefs support about 25% of all fish life in the entire ocean, so if we lose coral reefs here in Florida, it’s not only for fishing, recreation, but we lose that entire ecosystem,” said Justin Zimmerman, aquarium supervisor for the Florida Coral Rescue Center and SeaWorld.

Zimmerman showed News 6 some of the 524 coral incubating at the center, which he said have grown faster than they would have in the ocean.

“You can really see that the corals in the last four years since we’ve opened have really thrived,” he said. “They’ve done an amazing job of growing. They’re propagating. They’re reproducing.”

“I just looked at these corals right here, and I’m just amazed on how they have grown over time, and they look extremely healthy,” Stamper added.

The work has grown so much, SeaWorld opened an extension of the rescue center at their Orlando theme park, where guests can walk through an exhibit and see some of the coral in their aquariums.

Coral’s Threats

Florida’s coral reef is facing three deadly threats: pollution caused by humans, stony coral tissue loss disease and rising ocean temperatures.

In June 2023, the water temperature near Key Largo reached 101 degrees, heightening the risk of coral bleaching, which can kill coral.

Reefs act as homes for fish and other sea creatures.

They also protect shoreline communities from the impact of storm surge created by hurricanes.

Without them, sea life could be in danger, and so could human populations along the coast.

“Four years ago, we were unsure if these corals would adapt very well to our conditions here at the aquarium,” Zimmerman said. “We knew that in the wild, they were struggling. But here, we weren’t sure if they would still struggle under our care. When they came in here, they did very well. They adapted to our conditions very well.”

Coral’s Future

Dr. Claire Erlacher-Reid, a coral veterinarian, closely monitors the condition of the specimens at the center by using ultra sound technology and old-fashioned tissue samples.

“On our healthy coral, (tests) serve as a good baseline to see what bacteria is growing on them normally, and for our abnormal coral, it can help us direct treatments,” she said.

Funding for continued research and coral propagating was approved last year by U.S. Congress, and that money is currently being divided up to be distributed.

The Florida Legislature also approved more funding for agencies and organizations across the state.

Researchers hope they can save the coral reefs before it’s too late.

“In the future, we really want to put these corals back in the ocean because that’s where they’re needed. That’s where they’re most important,” Zimmerman said.