24/7 access to an underwater world.
Right now, it feels like bad news is coming out one after another. Even while you are still officially seated at your desk, you occasionally need to go away. If only for a while, this breathtaking live broadcast of Miami’s urban coral reef will transport you to another place and time.
Colin Foord, a marine biologist, and J.D. McKay, a musician, established Coral Morphologic in Miami, Florida, in 2007. The project has evolved over the last few years, providing people with a window into an underwater world and much-needed escapism, especially during the pandemic. It began as a way for them to combine their love of the marine world with art and motivate the general public to want to restore the Miami reef.
The Coral City Video, a live underwater camera feed that broadcasts from a Miami urban reef 24 hours a day, is an important component of their project. The watchers have grown enthralled by frequent visits from a cast of colorful species who call the coral their home despite the location, one of Miami’s busiest shipping routes. Over 100 distinct species have been discovered since February 2020, but Oval, a doctorfish lacking a portion of her tail, is without a doubt the star of the show.
Along with Oval, a wide variety of marine life, including manatees, turtles, rays, dolphins, and sharks, may be viewed. Their Instagram and Twitter pages frequently provide updates on the coral reef’s residents, including Lisa the lemon shark and the trunkfish known as the “angry swimming bag.”
One of the most diverse environments on Earth are coral reefs, which are thought to be home to about 25% of all marine species. Not just the marine species they sustain, but all marine life, depend on reefs for survival. They can offer shelter from storms, promote economic prosperity through marine tourism, and even deliver chemicals that fight disease.
However, climate change poses a threat to these valuable places. Due to ocean acidification and rising sea temperatures, bleaching episodes are occurring on an increasing number of reefs.
In order to learn more about how these corals and creatures are still thriving in this location, Coral Morphologic is presently collaborating with scientists and researchers from the NOAA and the ACCRETE lab at the University of Miami. The Coral City Camera seeks to inspire thousands of individuals to safeguard these essential areas by raising awareness of Miami’s unique biodiversity.
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