Coral reefs in Florida Keys took a beating this hurricane season, but there's still hope

Out on the water's surface, floating above the site of a coral nursery was the first sign of trouble: a tangled mass of line, buoys, lobster traps, and debris. 

A coral restoration team from Florida's Mote Marine Laboratory was checking on its underwater nursery for the first time since Hurricane Irma brought 140-mph winds to the Keys, and things didn't look promising. The team of scientists grows coral, which is then planted out on reefs decimated by global warming and other human abuses, 

SEE ALSO: Before and after photos show Hurricane Irma's devastation in the Caribbean

"Right off the bat we thought, 'Oh it's going to be completely destroyed," said Erich Bartels, a Mote staff scientist. While the infrastructure, including the PVC trees where corals hang like drying laundry put out to dry, survived the storm, much of the vibrant coral within the 60-by-80 meter site did not. Whipped up sand and tangled fishing gear helped harm the delicate coral. Read more...

More about Florida, Coral Reefs, Florida Keys, Florida Keys Reefs, and Hurricane Irma

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