Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration
Working Group

Coral health in the sanctuary has declined over the past several decades due to coastal development, pollution, overfishing, vessel groundings, storms, and coral disease and bleaching. In recent years, great strides have been made to grow corals in underwater nurseries for the purpose of restoring reefs. The sanctuary has permitted coral restoration efforts inside and outside protected zones, and while no area currently exists for intensive restoration efforts, the sanctuary’s original management plan considered utilizing marine zoning to achieve this purpose. Public comment received during the initial public scoping period along with the goals and objectives adopted by the Sanctuary Advisory Council have made the topic of coral ecosystem restoration a priority for the marine zoning and regulatory review restoration.
Advisory Council Lead - Ken Nedimyer
Objectives
- Identify specific areas and zones for active restoration of coral reef ecosystem
- Identify regulatory impediments and appropriate permitting conditions for active restoration of coral reef ecosystem species
- Identify adaptive management measures/criteria for opening areas closed for restoration purposes (i.e., performance standards for sunset)
Members
Advisory Council Lead - Ken Nedimyer
Advisory Council Co-lead – David Vaughan
Advisory Council Representatives:
Clinton Barras, SAC Tourism – Lower Keys
Alex Brylske, SAC Education & Outreach
Jeff Cramer, SAC Fishing – Commercial – Shell/Scale
Don Kincaid, SAC Diving – Lower Keys
Rob Mitchell, SAC Diving - Upper Keys
Martin Moe, SAC Education & Outreach
Ken Nedimyer, SAC Conservation & Environment
Bob Smith, SAC Diving – Lower Keys
David Vaughan, SAC Research & Monitoring
Community Experts:
Patti Gross, History of Diving Museum
Caitlin Lustic, The Nature Conservancy
Jeff Neidlinger, A Deep Blue Dive Center
Marius Venter, Fury Water Adventures
Staff Lead: Bill Goodwin
Meeting Schedule
- January 31, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 22 kb) - February 21 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 24 kb) - March 13
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 27 kb) - April 3
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 27 kb) - May 1
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 26 kb) - May 22
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 26 kb) - June 12
Marathon Garden Club
5270 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Draft Agenda (pdf, 25 kb)
Meeting Notes
January
+January 31
Draft Agenda (pdf, 22 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 101 kb)Other Materials:
Marine Zoning & Regulatory Review Process Overview (pdf, 2.2 MB)
Working Group Resources and Expectations (pdf, 1.3 MB)
Working Group Objectives (pdf, 1.9 MB)February
+February 21
Draft Agenda (pdf, 24 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 116 kb)Other Materials:
Sanctuary Restoration Zones and Activities (pdf, 6.9 MB)March
+March 13
Draft Agenda (pdf, 27 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 103 kb)Other Materials:
M/V Wellwood Grounding Site Restoration Case Study (pdf, 3.7 MB)April
+April 3
Draft Agenda (pdf, 27 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 97 kb)Other Materials:
Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Activities and Science (pdf, 8.6 MB)May
+May 1
Draft Agenda (pdf, 26 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 122 kb)Other Materials:
Process Flow Chart (pdf, 210 kb)May 22
Draft Agenda (pdf, 26 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 114 kb)Other Materials:
DEP Permitting: Roles and Responsibilities (pdf, 353 kb)
FWC Permitting: Roles and Responsibilities (pdf, 774 kb)
FKNMS Permitting: Roles and Responsibilities (pdf, 763 kb)
Draft Criteria for Zone Selection (pdf, 116 kb)June
+June 12
Draft Agenda (pdf, 25 kb)
Meeting Summary (pdf, 53 kb)Other Materials:
Draft Recommendations for Sanctuary Advisory Council Consideration (pdf, 153 kb)
Draft Recommendations for Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Zones: All Zones Identified (pdf, 614 kb)
Draft Recommendations for Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Zones: Priority Zones Identified (pdf, 491 kb)
Draft Recommendations
- Draft Criteria for Zone Selection (pdf, 116 kb)
- Draft Recommendations for Sanctuary Advisory Council Consideration (pdf, 153 kb)
- Draft Recommendations for Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Zones: All Zones Identified (pdf, 614 kb)
- Draft Recommendations for Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Zones: Priority Zones Identified (pdf, 491 kb)
- Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration Working Group Recommendations to SAC (pdf, 4.2 MB)
Materials to be presented at the June 17, 2014 Sanctuary Advisory Council Meeting
Data and Mapping Applications
+General
+Adaptive Management Applications Guide (pdf, 16.7 MB)
Condition Report 2011 for Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Draft Advisory Council Regulatory and Zoning Alternatives Development Workplan (pdf, 257 kb)
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Revised Management Plan, 2007
Coral Nurseries
+American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Coral Nursery Biological Opinion (pdf, 1.2 MB)
Coral Reef Ecosystem Assessment and Monitoring
+Acropora Population Decline in Keys (pdf, 3.2 MB)
Connected Restoration Monitoring Report (pdf, 1.9 MB)
Elpis Restoration Monitoring Report (pdf, 6.5 MB)
High Resolution Landscape Mosaics for Coral Reef Monitoring (pdf, 2.2 MB)
Lagniappe II Monitoring Report (pdf, 649 kb)
Maitland Restoration Monitoring (pdf, 2.6 MB)
Measuring Coral Community Health (pdf, 1 MB)
Recruitment and Survival of Threatened Acropora palmata at Looe Key Reef and Broward County First Reef (pdf, 92 kb)
Wellwood Fish Assemblage Monitoring Final Report (pdf, 1.2 MB)
Wellwood Restoration Monitoring Report (pdf, 2.9 MB)
Coral Reef Ecosystem Management
+Acropora Endangered Species Act Listing Workshop (pdf, 3.2 MB)
Coral Recovery in Marine Zones (pdf, 216 kb)
Prioritizing Key Resilience Indicators (pdf, 374 kb)
Restoring the Biology of the Great Barrier Reef (pdf, 392 kb)
Coral Reef Ecosystem Restoration
+Acropora Conservation Restoration Workshop Report (pdf, 337 kb)
Adaro Restoration Final Report (pdf, 1.7 MB)
Aquarius Coral Restoration/Resilience Experiment Acropora Restoration Report (pdf, 1.5 MB)
Belize Reef Restoration Case Study (pdf, 1.5 MB)
Coral Reef Restoration, Plus Artificial Fish Habitats (pdf, 217 kb)
Landscape-scale Approaches for Future Coral Reef Restoration Projects (pdf, 677 kb)
Maitland Restoration and Monitoring (pdf, 2.3 MB)
NMS Coral Reef Restoration PEIS (pdf, 1.1 MB)
Reef Restoration of the Keys (pdf, 189 kb)
Restoring Reefs Under Siege (pdf, 1.1 MB)
Sanctuary Coral Culture Costs Final Report (pdf, 546 kb)
TNC EcoReef Final Report (pdf, 1.5 MB)
TNC Outplanting Interim Report (pdf, 1.7 MB)