Successful experimental elkhorn coral colony in Dry Tortugas National Park

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting research to guide the restoration and recovery of threatened corals in Dry Tortugas National Park and throughout the western Atlantic. Shown here is a colony of the threatened elkhorn coral, Acropora palmata, that has grown over the sides of a cinderblock experimental platform. These coral colonies were planted by USGS scientists (with permission from the National Park Service) as part of the Coral Assessment Network (USGS-CAN) that provides data on coral-growth, or calcification, rates throughout the Florida Keys.

Learn more about USGS Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies.