Florida Aquarium

On this episode of "Florida Matters," we discuss how the future of Florida's corals hangs in the balance, HOA-issued speeding citations are raising privacy concerns in Sarasota and more.

The Florida Aquarium has seen a 300% patient increase at its sea turtle hospital due in large part to cold-stunning.

The researchers, with others from Honduras, are looking for ways to help reefs survive increased temps caused by global warming. The work could provide a blueprint for working across the Caribbean to share corals.

Against the odds of a warming ocean, the next generation of corals heads out to sea.

The "coral defenders" are made of plastic called PHA. Similar to a potato starch, it naturally breaks down when exposed, especially to salt water.

"Waves of green sea turtles" were being rescued after experiencing symptoms similar to frostbite from last week's winter storm.

"By freezing these larvae, they can be held for literally hundreds of years," said Keri O'Neil with the Florida Aquarium.

The expanded complex doubles the original facility's capacity with state-of-the-art coral care equipment. The upgrades are worth $3 million.

Darryl Shaw, one of the figures behind the Ybor City Gas Worx project, will be leading the Sea Change fundraising campaign to fund the Florida Aquarium's expansion plan.

The three-phase expansion will begin in January 2023, with completion of the last part planned for 2025.

Around 200 sea urchins were spawned at the aquarium and released in a coral reef off the Florida Keys, where they will eat algae that can overrun the reef.

Initial necropsy results were inconclusive, but further tests are being conducted.