Scientists are raising corals on land and planting them on reefs

For the first time, corals raised by scientists in a lab and transplanted to the natural reefs in the Florida Keys are primed to join an annual show of sexual reproduction called the coral spawn. — Dreamstime/TNS

Not long after the August full moon, Florida’s reefs are the scene of an annual show of sexual reproduction called the coral spawn, with coral colonies releasing masses of tiny white, pink and orange spheres into the ocean.

This year, for the first time, corals raised by scientists in a lab and transplanted to the natural reefs are primed to join the spawn – a promising milestone for ongoing efforts to restore the ravaged reef systems off South Florida, the United States.