Dozens of community members gathered at the Blake Library in Martin County to rally support for the Oculina Bank, a rare deep-water coral reef located just off the coast of Fort Pierce. The reef, found nowhere else on Earth, sits hundreds of feet below the surface and thrives in deep, dark waters unlike most coral that needs shallow sunlight to survive. The reef is home to more than 2,000 marine species.
The rally followed a January vote by the federally-appointed South Atlantic Marine Fishery Council to reopen more than 24 square nautical miles of the reef to shrimp trawling, an area larger than the island of Manhattan. Scientists say trawling destroyed as much as 90 percent of the reef before federal protections were put in place decades ago. Dr. Grant Gilmore, a scientist who previously dived the reef, told the crowd that fish need the coral reef for habitat and food. Mark Perry, Executive Director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, said he was devastated by the council's decision to amend protections that had been in place for decades.
Both scientists urged the public to help save the reef, noting that corals are in trouble worldwide and none should be destroyed. Perry said the corals grow very slowly and have been there for a long time. The council's vote came despite tens of thousands of petition signatures opposing the move.
The proposal is now with NOAA, which will make the final decision. The agency is expected to release draft rules within the coming months, giving the public one more opportunity to weigh in before officials decide whether to move forward. Activists are urging residents to write letters to their congressman and others who might influence the decision to protect the reef.