Wellwood Reef Restoration Project
On August 4, 1984, the M/V Wellwood, a 122-meter freighter ran aground on Molasses Reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Due to complications with removal, the ship remained on the reef for 12 days.
The total destruction from the grounding included 5,805 square meters of living corals and injury to 75,000 square meters of reef habitat. It is NOAAs goal to restore physical relief back to the damaged site and encourage natural recovery. In order to do this, reef modules will be placed in the injured areas to provide a substrate for new coral colonization.
Learn more about our efforts to rebuild and restore Molasses Key and be sure to check back often as we chronicle the restoration progress during the Wellwood Reef restoration project.
Columbus Iselin Reef Restoration Project
From July through September 1999, the restoration of one of America's most significant coastal barrier coral reefs dating back 4,000 years took place within the boundaries of NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
The R/V Columbus Iselin Reef Restoration Project joined NOAA staff and contractors in the difficult job of physical reconstruction of four coral reef spurs damaged in the grounding of the R/V Columbus Iselin. The 155-foot research vessel, owned by the University of Miami, went aground on an ancient reef in Looe Key, Florida just before midnight on August 10, 1994. Over the last few years, storms and waves have added to the damage.
During this project, a chronicle of the restoration progress was posted on the Web site Project Log. Learn more about our efforts to rebuild and restore Looe Key.
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