June 2003 800 feet deep Reef Balls on the Oculina Bank off NE Florida. NOAA has asked the Reef Ball Development Group to assist in a research project to determine if oculina corals will form on Reef Balls (tm) on deep waters ridges off the east coast of Florida.
NOAA received a proposal for Oculina Coral Reef Restoration with Reef Balls in the Experimental Oculina Research Reserve (EORR) off Ft Pierce, FL as a method of short-term restoration of destroyed reef fish habitat. A considerable amount of Oculina habitat has been destroyed in the last few decades, apparently by trawling activities in the area. Note: Oculina has been observed growing naturally on several Reef Ball reefs. In this experiment, Oculina transplants will also be used to further enhance Oculina growth. Oculina is a form of coral often associated with depth or low light conditions.
