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The Florida Aquarium has spawned grooved brain coral for the fourth consecutive year at its Apollo Beach campus.
Identified by the wide groove along the top of its ridges, grooved brain corals are critical to reef restoration. The species is highly susceptible to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, which research shows has led to the loss of an estimated 48% of the species’ colonies.
The species spawned in the aquarium’s greenhouses and induced spawning lab, where biologists use technology to mimic the natural environment of corals.
This is just one of many coral species the aquarium has in its care.
– Staff Reports, Florida Politics