[ricki]

Went scooter free diving off the beach just north of Ft. Lauderdale today. Came into a surprise just inside the inner second reef ledge or in the relict lagoon area over rock. The water is fairly shallow here about 7 to 10 ft. over fairly smooth rock, perhaps formed by calcareous algae. There was staghorn coral, (Acropora cervicornis), A LOT of it. Likely acres of intermittant coverage. For the most part, healthy looking coral too. Growth estimates have been identified of 10 to 20 cm per year. In the Keys this was a very fast growing coral and along with A. palamata a major component of the fore reef. That is before the die off of the mid 1980's.

Here is a video over flying some of the colonies. I was last over the section of reef a few years back. Will have to see if I have any photos of the smaller, more isolated staghorn colonies present at that time. There used to be far smaller, isolated colonies historically, nothing remotely resembling the extensive, healthy growth shown here. Looking at the video you can see areas of dead staghorn some of which has been overgrown by new live coral. Looking at the lengths of the colonies, perhaps the coral was killed during the hurricane years of 2004 and/or 2005? What live regenerated coral you see developed subsequent to that time perhaps?



I've seen dead fragments of staghorn on and around the reefs in this area for almost forty years. Could be conditions just weren't quite right for contemporary population explosion as was routinely underway in historically clearer warmer waters in the Keys, Bahamas, Antilles, etc. in those years. Not sure if the current growth I saw today will continue at the same pace.

Here's an interesting thought if it does, the reef could be much more developed AND SHALLOW in this area. How shallow, you've got me. Not even sure if it will happen, but if it does ... Could an intertidal reef develop here or one that merely attenuates storm waves in a major way reducing beach erosion and through lagoon siltation and infilling, perhaps cause beach expansion? It could even become too shallow to safely navigate across in time. As the coral rises, it should also expand laterally widening the terrace. Broken coral pieces and other facies, entrained sediment will be accreted into the reef mass aiding expansion. Could this result in a new barrier reef or new distinct fringing reef terrace off Broward County? Perhaps, time will tell.

How long? No real idea but with the reported growth rates, perhaps in 20 years or less? More dramatic, potential, changes and in our time yet again. Keep an eye on this.