Frost Science will create the First National Coral Reef Conservancy, focused on education & research.
Funded by a partisan, congressionally directed funding project, which is part of the latest omnibus appropriation bill, Frost Science will receive $1.15 million to go forward the coral reef conservancy, named ReeFlorida.
ReeFlorida is going to be a marine science hub that provides opportunities for ongoing education and collaborative research, with the goal of conserving, restoring and sustaining Florida’s Coral Reef.
The new conservancy, which will be based in Frost Science, is downtown Miami campus at 1101 Biscayne Blvd. It will provide opportunities for continuous education, research and active fields.
Florida’s Coral Reef stretches almost 350 miles from Dry Tortugas to St. Lucie Inlet. It is the only barrier coral reef system in Continental U.S. and benefits more than 6 million residents of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Throughout the years, the reef has been threatened by local and global impacts including climate change, disease, pollution and coastal construction activities.
The Marine Conservation Wet Lab and class rooms in the Museum’s Knight Learning Center will also be an informal space for museum’s visitors and school groups to engage directly with researchers in ocean conservation and education as part of the initiative.
Through ReeFlorida, Frost Science will be working with and hosting marine scientists from around Florida including the University of Miami, SECORE Intl. Inc., and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration to develop functional and sustained coral reef and biodiversity restoration techniques and strategies.