NSU Horizons Fall 2011

15 horizons I n a state blessed with white-sand beaches, balmy year-round weather, and warm tropical waters, there’s another unique natural resource that’s attracting the tourists. But they can’t be easily seen unless you dive below the water. They are the coral reefs that line Florida’s coast, creating homes for myriad tropical fish, diverse marine plants, and animals. Most Floridians don’t realize that the Sunshine State accounts for 84 percent of all the coral reefs in the United States. In South Florida alone, reef ecosystems annually pump more than $6 billion into the economy through recreational activities, fishing, and tourism. The reefs sustain more than 71,000 jobs and inject $2 billion each year into Broward County’s economy, according to a study by the firm of Hazen and Sawyer, environmental engineers and scientists. No organization is more dedicated to ensuring these valuable resources are protected for future generations than the National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI), an integral com- ponent of Nova Southeastern University’s Oceanographic Center. The scientists and researchers here have dedicated their careers to preserving the reefs through new discoveries and producing important scientific data to understand the biology, geology, chemistry, and physics of reefs. “We are proud of our reputation and the contributions to coral reef science,” said Richard E. Dodge, Ph.D., NCRI’s executive director and dean of the Oceanographic Center (OC). “Coral reefs are precious and valuable natural re- sources. Unfortunately, reefs are in decline from many local and global stressors. We help provide research and education products to help understand, manage, and conserve them.” Founded in 1998 through a congressional mandate, NCRI has established itself as one of the world’s premier coral reef research facilities. It is one of four in the United States, and the only one in the contiguous states. Located at NSU’s OC in John U. Lloyd Beach State Park in Hollywood, Florida, the institute’s mission is to explore scientifically sound approaches to understand, assess, monitor, restore, and mitigate injured coral reefs. Research is designed to produce knowledge and products to help environmental agencies, government officials, and scientists manage and conserve reefs. “The research we do has real-world applications,” Dodge said. In summer 2012, NCRI’s research will be buoyed by the opening of the 86,000-square-foot Center of Excellence for National Coral Reef Institute’s research will be buoyed by a new Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Science Research Facility. by ken ma