Photo Monitoring Coral Survey
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For the past 12 years, REEF RELIEF's founder, Craig Quirolo,
has documented changes in the coral communities of the Key West area with a
non-intrusive photographic survey. Instead of grid systems that are fixed to
the ocean floor, Craig uses only dive charts and laminated photographs of corals
to locate the many sites included in the survey.
A series of pictures taken over months and years monitor growth and overall health. Craig regularly photographs and videos the same coral heads at seven reefs near Key West and shares his results with the world's leading coral reef scientists. This work began several years ago through the cash prize accompanying the Robert Rodale Environmental Achievement Award, made possible by Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine.
Additional funding for this program has been provided by The Turner Foundation, the Edith & Curtis Munson Foundation, the Dogwood Foundation, the Storer Foundation, Publix Supermarket Charities and others.
Scientific Research and Monitoring
REEF RELIEF provides technical assistance to many visiting scientists studying corals and water quality at Key West-area coral reefs.
This relatively easy-to-use, low-tech system to monitor coral reef growth, algal growth, and diseases afflicting corals gives extremely sophisticated and accurate results. The importance of this system can not be stated strongly enough. Craig discovered yellow band disease and has shared his data with several scientists studying coral diseases. Cores from corals infected with the disease have been sent to Dr. Debbie Santivay at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf Breeze Laboratory to determine just what the disease is. On April 11, 1996, Craig was able to alert the scientific community of a browning of purple sea fans in reef areas just off Key West. Again, he provided video footage and data to experts, including Dr. Drew Harvell of Cornell University and Dr. Kio Kim of University of Buffalo, who are studying sea fans. They have discovered a fungus, aspergillus, attacking the sea fans. Usually this fungus is associated with soil, not salt water environments. In 1997, Craig first observed white plague type II, a fast growing coral disease that attacks the base of major coral heads and consumes all living tissue. He has also noted that white pox disease is attacking several different types of corals, including star corals (dicoena) earlier identified at Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary. This proliferation of diseases is not good, but at least scientists who usually only monitor coral reefs on a quarterly basis, are receiving regular episodic updates from REEF RELIEF.
Key West Marine Park
This public underwater park has been established to enhance protection for the nearshore coral reef ecosystem and to provide for compatible use by boaters, swimmers, and beach visitors.