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BREAKING NEWS: 14-MONTH-OLD STAGHORN OUTPLANTS SPAWN IN THE WILD

On the evening of August 6th, 2020, CRF™ divers witnessed the youngest nursery-raised and outplanted staghorn corals to spawn in the wild


Outplanted staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) spawning on Florida's Coral Reef. Video copyright: Dana Williams/University of Miami. Video depicts 5-year old staghorn outplants spawning on the night of August 4th at North Dry Rocks and is included here for illustration only. Will update media as it comes in.


  • Coral Restoration Foundation™ divers witnessed 14-month old staghorn corals propagated and outplanted by CRF™ spawning on Florida's Coral Reef.

  • These are the youngest CRF™ nursery-raised, outplanted staghorn corals to be observed spawning in the wild, and possibly the youngest outplanted staghorn to be observed spawning ever in the Florida Keys.

  • The CRF™ team has aso been observing these same genotypes spawning in the nursery, and we will present the data once it comes in.

  • Spawning was also observed in outplanted elkhorn corals - a first for Florida Keys restoration efforts. Read more about this story here.


Fourteen-month-old staghorn outplants spawning at North Dry Rocks. Images: Jessica Levy/Coral Restoration Foundation™

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