Coral reefs are one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems. While 1% of the world’s oceans are coral reefs, they support 25% of all marine life and feed more than 500 million people. In some areas of Florida and the Caribbean, the coral cover has declined by 50% to 80% in the last 30 years and it takes centuries for these reefs to develop naturally, thus running the risk of losing them altogether. But every dark cloud has a silver lining! 

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium has developed a unique “micro fragmentation and fusion” method to grow corals 50 times faster in their nurseries than they grow naturally. Yes! They have a 95% survival rate when placed onto the reef. And they are doing this with the help of financial partnerships.

So, to gain a deeper understanding of our coral reefs and this partnership, wildlife film-maker and presenter, Aishwarya Sridhar spoke to Dr. Erinn Muller, Program Manager and Science Director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and Scott Sensenbrenner, CEO of Enzymedica, a digestive enzyme supplements company. In the last 10 years, Mote has planted over 70,000 corals onto Florida's Coral Reef, and Enzymedica provides additional support for coral restoration.

Scott Sensenbrenner’s passion for the oceans is deep and he is committed to saving the coral reefs. He has been the CEO and a Director of Enzymedica since September of 2009. He is passionate about supporting Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and the amazing work they are doing to save Florida’s coral reefs.

Dr. Erinn Muller has studied coral health and disease for the last 15 years in many places throughout the world including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Florid Keys, and as far away as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. She has published 24 peer-reviewed publications on coral health and disease. Muller’s research is funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Park Service, NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and through philanthropy like that of Enzymedica. She received the prestigious Young Scientist of the Year Award from the International Society for Reef Studies in 2015, became a Staff Scientist in 2015, and the Coral Health and Disease Program Manager at Mote in Sarasota, Florida, in 2016. She is now the Science Director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration.

Take a plunge into the unique world of corals by listening to this podcast!! 

Website- https://mote.org

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/MoteMarineLab

Instagram- @motemarinelab

Twitter- @MoteMarineLab

Music- Organisms by Chad Crouch from Free Music Archives.  https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Chad_Crouch/Arps/Organisms

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