Sensor deployed to Florida Keys to monitor ocean acidification and protect Florida's coral reef systems

SARASOTA, Fla. - Under the water at Looe Key in the Florida Keys, scientists with Mote Marine Laboratory, the Southeast Ocean and Coastal Acidification Network and the U.S. Geological Survey went to work installing what's known as a SeapHOx sensor.

"It’s exciting for us to see that down on the sea floor," said Dr. Emily Hall, a senior scientist and program manager at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.

Dr. Hall has studied corals and works to protect them. The SeapHOx is located right next to a coral reef system and will work to collect samples of water temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen to evaluate for ocean and coastal acidification.

"It’s right at the coral level. It is testing the water right where the corals are," said Dr. Hall.

Acidification is a threat to coral reefs.

"Ocean acidification, specifically the drop in pH, can cause corals to not grow new corals, can cause corals to dissolve," said Dr. Hall.

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Mote will monitor the SeapHOx for the next five years. Data will be uploaded once a month, giving a look into what is happening currently to protect and better understand the Florida coral reef system.

"We are hoping to provide this data, for example, to managers of our marine protected areas or our coral restoration practitioners so they can see what is happening in real time and to make decisions on how to best maintain and restore our coral reef environments," said Dr. Hall.

As coral reefs across the world face threats, including disease and hotter water temperatures, protecting them has become a global mission.

"If we lose our coral reefs, we lose the fish and coral species that live on them. We can see a lot bigger impacts than just the loss of the coral," said Dr. Hall.

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