Exploring the Coral Reefs Near the Key
Coral reefs are either naturally occurring or artificially implanted features of the marine environment located on the ocean side of Key Biscayne. The reefs are congregations of small living creatures typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, such as off Key Biscayne. Naturally occurring reefs form independently of human intervention, while artificially formed reefs grow on human planted features such as ships sunk specifically for the purpose of providing a foundation for coral growth. At least one such ship was sunk off Key Biscayne.
Coral reefs provide value to the Key through tourism, recreational fishing, and shoreline protection. The beauty of the reefs themselves and the wide range of tropical fish found on the reefs provide a valuable tourist attraction. Several reefs are found at shallow depths and thus provide an ideal site for viewing by snorkeling and scuba diving. The reefs also host a wide variety of edible fish such as snapper and grouper, thus supporting a valuable recreational fishing industry. Finally, the reefs serve to protect inshore areas during storms by causing waves to break farther offshore.
Unfortunately, coral reefs are extremely fragile structures subject to both natural and man-made hazards. Extreme storms and the resulting waves can damage corals found at shallow depths.
The warming of the oceans and resulting acidification of it’s water can cause ‘coral bleaching’ resulting in the loss of live coral. Man-made hazards include pollution both from offshore runoff and vessel discharge. Ship groundings on reefs also cause coral reef damage.
Inspection of coral reefs by Citizen Scientists, particularly those who snorkel or scuba dive, can provide a valuable measure of the health of the coral reefs offshore Key Biscayne. Further study based on these observations can hopefully provide information on the causes of damaged reefs, and thereby lead to remedial actions to repair the damage.
Relative Environmental Questions
These Relevant Environmental Questions promote environmental awareness and serve as a starting point for citizens to begin making environmental observations. Citizens will soon be able to submit their environmental findings and answers to these questions with the launch of the Record page. Please be sure to follow our Facebook page for the latest news and updates!
- Do you ever see damaged or broken corals? If so, at which reef?
- Have you noticed a change in the macrofauna community (e.g., large parrotfish, snappers, groupers, etc.)?
- Do any of the reefs have marine debris on them? If so, which one?
- Do you notice a change in frequency in the branching coral community (e.g., staghorn or elkhorn coral)?
- Have you noticed an increasing abundance of macroalgae? If so, at which reef?
- Would you consider the reefs near Key Biscayne and Virginia Key to be in good condition? Why or why not?
- Have you noticed any significant bioerosion (insert picture)? If so, where?
- Have you noticed any changed to the associated seagrass beds? If so, describe?
More Relative Environmental Questions
Lists of Relevant Environmental Questions (REQs) can be found in each of the Explore sections of the Citizen Scientist Project’s Lab. Before going out to explore the environment in or around Key Biscayne, Virginia Key, or Hobie Island, you can review the REQs to have a better idea of what to look for during your exploring.
Once your exploration is complete, and you are ready to answer the REQs, just jump over to the Record section of the Citizen Scientist Project’s Lab to submit your answers.
Types of Reefs & Zones
Aggregated Patch Reef
A grouping of patch reefs of various sizes – generally three to ten in number – that share a common halo and exhibit complete separation between individual reefs. On this map, aggregated patch reefs are further divided into shallow and deep where shallow is less than 60ft and deep is greater than a 60ft depth. Patch reefs start from corals growing on a hard bottom, but grow upward as new corals establish themselves on the skeletons of dead corals. Most of the structure of patch reefs is formed from star (Montastraea annularis, Siderastrea siderea) and brain corals (Diploria spp.). Other corals attach wherever there is an opening. Patch reefs may grow up to the surface of the water, and spread outwards.
Individual Patch Reef
A patch reef occurring within it’s own halo and exhibiting complete separation between other adjacent reefs. Patch reefs start from corals growing on a hard bottom, but grow upward as new corals establish themselves on the skeletons of dead corals. Most of the structure of patch reefs is formed from star (Montastraea annularis, Siderastrea siderea) and brain corals (Diploria spp.). Other corals attach wherever there is an opening. Patch reefs may grow up to the surface of the water, and spread outwards.
Inner Linear Reef
The shallowest zonation (0-30ft) of reef formations making up the Florida Reef Tract.
Artificial Reef
Suitable long-lived, stable and environmentally safe materials (usually steel or concrete) strategically placed on the ocean bottom to enhance recreational fishing and sport diving opportunities in coastal waters, and to increase the amount of productive hard-bottom habitat available overall. Once the material is in place it acts in the same way that naturally occurring rock outcroppings do in providing hard substrate necessary in the basic formation of a live-bottom reef community.
Middle Linear Reef
The zonation delineated by median depths (30-60ft) between the Inner Linear Reef and the Outer Linear Reef zones.
Spur & Groove
Reefs in the form of ridges that are perpendicular to the reef crest. The spurs can be meters high and are covered by dense coral growth, whereas the grooves (blue) are floored by sand.
Outer Linear Reef
The deepest (>60ft) reef zone of the Florida Reef Tract.
Platform Margin Reef: the reef zone forming continuous barriers to isolated buildups along a platform margin. Tidal channels develop along continuous platform-margin reefs, which allow circulation between the open ocean and the platform interior.