Operation Coral Rescue 2.0 Breaks New Barriers in Coral Conservation as HRI Teams Up with Reef Renewal USA
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A little more than a year after Harte Research Institute (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) scientists pioneered new approaches to coral conservation through Operation Coral Rescue, the expanding Coral Reef and Ocean Health Lab at HRI is continuing to set new standards for reef restoration science.
On Monday, HRI scientists returned from the Florida Keys with more than 200 corals as part of Operation Coral Rescue 2.0. As the next chapter in this ongoing effort, HRI scientists worked with Reef Renewal USA to gather, package and transport corals from Reef Renewal USA’s off-shore coral reef nursery near Tavernier, Florida.
The corals will be studied by HRI to better understand the differences between resilient coral populations in the Florida Keys and the Gulf, while also helping to develop tools that empower citizen scientists and recreational divers to contribute to coral observational data on coral bleaching.
This project also strengthens a Gulf-to-Caribbean coral resilience network, connecting partners to study how nursery-grown corals respond to environmental change.
“Every coral we move represents hope for the future of our reefs,” said Dr. Keisha Bahr, HRI’s Chair for the Coral Reef and Ocean Health Lab at HRI. “By studying these corals across regions and connecting partners through the Gulf and Caribbean, we can better predict how these ecosystems will respond to future stress and inform smarter restoration strategies.”
The corals were packed in Florida and flown to Texas, arriving at HRI on Monday night. They are now housed in HRI’s expanding aquarium facility, located adjacent to the main HRI building on the TAMU-CC campus. Researchers are assessing coral health and stress tolerance before and after relocation. Results will help guide future restoration strategies to enhance adaptive capacity.
In September of 2024, HRI’s coral scientists teamed up with Nova Southeastern University (NSU) to transport more than 200 corals, including the endangered staghorn coral, from NSU’s coral nursery to Texas for further study as part of the original Operation Coral Rescue. Those corals remain at HRI and continue to thrive.
Reef Renewal USA is a Florida-based nonprofit organization dedicated to developing sustainable, effective, and scalable methods to restore coral reefs.
The collaboration between Reef Renewal USA and HRI showcases how partnerships between nonprofits and academic partners can accelerate coral conservation and help expand reef restoration infrastructure in the Gulf and beyond.
“Partnering with HRI in this effort is a key part of how we can help sustain reefs not only in the Gulf but around the world,” said Shane Wever, Restoration Program Director-Upper Keys for Reef Renewal USA. “By combining our restoration expertise with HRI’s research capabilities, we’re creating a model for collaboration that accelerates coral recovery and strengthens resilience.”
Together, these efforts mark a new wave of innovation and collaboration aimed at ensuring the long-term survival of coral reef ecosystems throughout the Gulf and the Caribbean.