Archive: summer 2026 | Key Largo, Florida
On a summer night off Key Largo, divers collected the next generation of a coral reef. I'm Bennett Blackwood. At Reef Renewal USA's offshore nursery, staghorn and elkhorn corals released eggs and sperm into the water. Teams gathered them and carried them to shore, where researchers brought material from different parent colonies together. An effort that could have never been done four or five years ago. This is, we've never been able to spawn and collect gametes from this many corals in one location in one night. This is epic. The project team reported more than one point five million embryos. They need time to grow before restoration planting. The work aims to give reefs more genetic variety and a better chance against future heat. Our page links to Reef Renewal USA. Good stories every day. Follow Carpe Diem News. Seize the day. Share the good.
Original source sound: recorded interview.