Keys History & Discovery Center Presents…Coral Restoration: A Beacon of Hope to Save the Florida Reef Tract, a lecture on Wednesday, May 8, 5-7 p.m. The lecture is at the Keys History & Discovery Center at MM 82 on the property of the Islander Resort in Islamorada. Cost for non-members is only $10, thanks in part to grant funding from Florida Humanities Council. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Join Erinn Muller, Ph.D., Science Director of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration, as she shares the important of Florida’s coral reefs, from protecting shorelines to sustaining tourism by attracting more than 16 million visitors a year, as well as providing an economic engine worth $6.3 billion to the state.

During the last 40 years Florida’s corals have declined in many areas with some species losing more than 97 percent of their populations. Restoration of coral reefs in Florida and around the world is essential but must also take into consideration severe threats to their long-term survival such as increased water temperature, ocean acidification and spreading diseases. Learn about Mote Marine Laboratory’s strategy for coral restoration which focuses on propagating multiple coral species with high genetic diversity that are also resilient to some of the most common and severe threats on reefs today and likely into the future.

Light appetizers and a cash bar will be available. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made at 305-922-2237 or info@keysdiscovery.com.