Quicklook Report: Coral spawning 2020: Activities and observations

This year’s Florida spawning effort was modified from our usual team effort in Key Largo to a collaborative effort with the University of Miami (UM-RSMAS) and SECORE split between two operations: Miami-based and Key Largo-based. For field operations in Miami, two SEFSC-CoRAL team members captained two UM vessels and led the gamete handling and larval propagation tasks. Observations and collections in Key Largo were led by SEFSC-CoRAL team members using a recreational dive charter vessel. All gamete and larval lab-work was performed at the University of Miami (UM-RSMAS) instead of our typical temporary lab space in Key Largo because of logistical constraints due to COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies. Overall, the 2020 spawning season proved successful with a large effort devoted to monitoring eight sites between the two regions, Miami, and Key Largo. This is the first year our team has participated in spawning observations in Miami and, to our knowledge, very little is known about the spawning history at the sites monitored (Rainbow Reef, Emerald Reef, Lirman’s UM coral nursery, Bill Baggs State Park, and McArthur Causeway). In Key Largo, we were able to continue the ongoing spawning record at three sites, Horseshoe and Elbow Reefs where we have spawning observations dating back to 2000 and 2005, respectively, and North Dry Rocks Reef where we started observations last year.