Florida Keys Volunteers Pluck Pesky Snails From Reefs-1,009 Snails and Counting!

September 19, 2024

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary staff and partner volunteers recently conducted a series of dives to remove coral-eating yellow-footed snails from Carysfort Reef and Elbow Reef, both of which are critical offshore reefs that support some of the largest remaining elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) populations in the Florida Keys—possibly offering a temperature refugia for these corals that are prone to bleaching. This year's efforts expanded to Elbow Reef to protect multiple elkhorn coral colonies located there.

Aboard Blue Star Diving operators Quiescence Diving Services LLC and The Dive Shop at Ocean Reef, staff and volunteers conducted surveys and removed 1,009 snails, contributing to the overall health of these reefs. The effort continues to be a crucial component of aiding reef resilience in the face of ongoing environmental challenges, as well as helping to shape community science program outlines for the future.

A 2018 study showed evidence that "removing the corallivorous snail Coralliophila abbreviata from Caribbean brain corals (Pseudodiploria and Diploria species) before a major warming event increased coral resilience by reducing bleaching severity (resistance) and post-bleaching tissue mortality (recovery)." Coral reef managers believe that reducing tissue loss from coral-eating snails may also aid in the recovery of Acroporid and other boulder coral species.

To get involved with future reef restoration efforts in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, visit the Iconic Reef Guardians webpage.