Scientists seek to develop hybrid coral reef off of Miami

By WILFREDO LEE
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — Scientists and students from the University of Miami dove into the dark waters a few miles off the shores of Miami as part of an effort to develop hybrid reefs. The team from the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science was on a mission this week to collect eggs and sperm from spawning staghorn coral. They hope to fertilize other strains of staghorn corals back in a lab. It’s all part of a $7.5 million federal grant from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to help address security threats to the military and civilian infrastructure along vulnerable coastal regions in Florida and the Caribbean.