Today, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a $9.5 million funding allocation for ten projects aimed at enhancing coral nursery infrastructure and expanding operations. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to restore Florida’s Coral Reef, the only near-shore barrier reef in the continental United States.
“Protecting and restoring Florida’s Coral Reef is vital to the state’s coastal resilience and economy,” stated DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “This investment strengthens our ability to rebuild coral populations and safeguard these marine ecosystems for future generations.”
Florida’s Coral Reef plays a significant role in supporting thousands of marine species and contributes $6.3 billion to the tourism industry, generating 71,000 jobs in South Florida through recreation, education, and research.
In 2023, Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 23-06 to establish the Florida’s Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative. The initiative aims to improve resilience, ecosystem restoration, and water quality with a goal of restoring at least 25% of Florida’s Coral Reef by 2050.
“The Governor’s Florida’s Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative is a transformational program to reestablish the full benefits of a thriving Florida’s Coral Reef — a national ecological treasure, a state economic engine and Southeast Florida’s first line of flood protection,” said Wesley Brooks, Ph.D., Florida’s Chief Resilience Officer. “These awards will grow the infrastructure for sophisticated breeding and mass propagation efforts necessary to restore millions of resilient corals to our coastal waters.”
The DEP is working with local partners through its grant program under this initiative to expand coral restoration efforts by propagating tens of thousands of resilient coral colonies each year. In its initial two years, grants have been awarded for outplanting at least 2,000 corals annually. Partners like the Florida Aquarium are producing approximately 20,000 new coral recruits each year.
Governor DeSantis has prioritized protecting Florida’s Coral Reef as part of his administration’s environmental agenda. His proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26 includes $26.2 million dedicated to coral reef protection and restoration.
Details on selected grant projects for Fiscal Year 2024-25 can be accessed at ProtectingFloridaTogether.gov/Grants.
