Coral reefs typically grow in waters devoid of nitrogen, so even slight increases in the gas can be deadly. Small patches of the seaweed began appearing on the Florida reefs about 10 years ago.

Tropical reefs are better known to scientists — and snorkelers -- because they’re more accessible. The world’s largest tropical coral reef system, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia ...

Coral reefs are sometimes dubbed "rainforests of the sea" because they support high levels of biodiversity — approximately 25% of all marine species can be found in, on and around coral reefs.

Elkhorn coral helps form the skeleton of a healthy reef, but more than 95% of the Elkhorn coral off Florida has been wiped out. Scientists have created the "Flonduran" crossbreed to solve the problem.

ATLANTA — For more than a month, the Georgia Aquarium has been taking care of coral from The Florida Aquarium. The coral was moved in October for safekeeping as Hurricane Milton headed toward Tampa.

Ocean Alchemists started saving coral from a dangerous disease in 2019. The company wants to reach the next growth stage with the USF incubator program.

Experts say coral reefs are a significant part of the oceanic ecosystem. They occupy less than 1% of the ocean worldwide but provide food and shelter to nearly 25 percent of sea life.

Matt Wade, a senior coral biologist at The Florida Aquarium, joined FOX 13 News to talk about a major breakthrough in the effort to restore Florida’s troubled coral reefs.

Alongside staff scientist Dr. Jay Leverone, Tomasko dove into the bay to check out artificial reefs that were deployed about 10 years ago. He said they’ve all proven to be successful.