Workforce Industry Skills Explorations

🎓 Audience

Education: Grade(s) 9, 10, 11, 12, Teacher(s)/Educator(s), Parent, Adult Learners, Homeschool/Family , Learning Pod; Public Library: Library Patrons, Library Staff

 🐾 Topics

Career & Technical Education (CTE), Economics/Business, Health & Physical Education, Industrial Technology, Professional Development, Science, STEM, Technology/Information Science

🗂️ Format

• Introduction and Prior Knowledge - The program opens with an overview of coral science and the role of research in supporting the restoration of coral reefs. Participants are invited to share prior knowledge, questions, or interests related to coral reef ecosystems, marine conservation, or careers in coral science and reef restoration. Educators are encouraged to connect this discussion to ecology, population dynamics, human impacts on ecosystems, sustainability, or career and technical education pathways.

• Segment 1 – Challenges facing coral reefs - Coral reefs are vital to ocean health, biodiversity, and shoreline protection, and they support coastal economies through tourism, fishing, and the development of new medicines and products. Learners examine key threats including rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, coral disease outbreaks, and other human-driven stressors placing reefs at risk.

• Segment 2 – What our scientists are doing – Learners explore the Coral Lab, where Mote Marine Laboratory scientists are at the forefront of understanding how and why corals differ in their response to challenges such as increasing ocean temperatures and infectious diseases. Participants investigate advancements in coral resilience research, including efforts to identify which coral genotypes can resist or recover from stress, and how that knowledge is used to grow and breed more resilient corals for reef restoration in Florida and around the world.

• Segment 3 – Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release - Learners explore how veterinary teams collaborate during wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts. Discussion focuses on triage, treatment, recovery, and release decisions, as well as the ethical considerations involved in caring for wild animals and balancing individual welfare with ecosystem health.

• Segment 4 – Training for the future – Learners discover how hands-on training, mentorship, and applied research prepare the next generation of coral scientists and restoration professionals. Participants explore skill development in coral health monitoring, data analysis, coral genetics, reef assessment techniques, and restoration methods. This segment connects workforce preparation to emerging careers in coral conservation, marine biology, environmental science, and reef ecosystem management.

• Live Q&A and Reflection - The session concludes with time for participant questions and guided reflection, allowing educators to reinforce key concepts and connect the experience to classroom learning goals.

Segments may vary based on animal needs, veterinary priorities, or field conditions. Every effort is made to deliver the program as outlined, with flexibility to use a combination of live and recorded video when necessary to ensure animal welfare and program quality.

🎯 Objectives

1. Explore how coral resilience research supports conservation, reef restoration, and the long-term health of coral reef ecosystems.

2. Identify the tools, techniques, and methods used to monitor coral health, assess coral stress responses, and culture resilient corals for reef restoration.

3. Examine how scientists use coral genetics and selective propagation to reduce reliance on wild coral populations and strengthen reef recovery efforts in Florida and around the world.

4. Ask questions and engage in discussions about coral restoration careers, applied marine science skills, and workforce pathways in reef conservation and ecosystem management.

✏️ Standards this program supports

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

• LS1.A (9–12) –– Structure and Function in Living Systems. Learners examine how the physical and biological characteristics of corals influence their ability to survive, reproduce, and respond to environmental stress. Through coral husbandry and restoration examples, participants explore how structure and function guide coral selection, fragmentation, and propagation strategies.

• LS1.B (9–12) –– Growth and Development of Organisms. Learners investigate how coral reefs support complex webs of interdependence among marine organisms and coastal communities. Examples highlight the relationships between corals and their symbiotic algae, reef fish, invertebrates, and the human communities that depend on healthy reef systems.

• LS2.C (9–12) –– Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience. Learners analyze how disturbances such as thermal bleaching events, ocean acidification, and coral disease outbreaks impact reef ecosystems. Coral restoration strategies, resilience research, and selective propagation practices demonstrate approaches that promote reef recovery and long-term ecosystem stability.

• LS3.B (9–12) – Variation of Traits. Learners explore how genetic variation among coral colonies influences differences in stress tolerance, disease resistance, and recovery capacity. Research on coral genotypes illustrates how trait variation is identified, documented, and applied to inform restoration and breeding programs.

• LS4.D (9–12) –– Biodiversity and Humans. Learners examine how human activities including climate change, coastal development, and water pollution affect coral reef biodiversity. Science-based restoration, coral nurseries, and resilience-focused breeding programs are presented as tools to balance ecological recovery with ongoing environmental pressures.

• ETS1.B (9–12) –– Developing Possible Solutions. Learners observe how coral scientists design, test, and refine restoration methods to improve coral survival rates, reduce disease impacts, and enhance reef recovery outcomes. Monitoring technology, genetic screening, data analysis, and iterative experimental design model real-world problem solving in coral conservation.

Ocean Literacy Principles

• • Ocean Literacy Principle #5 – The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

  • Ocean Literacy Principle #6 – The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• • 4 - Quality Education

  • 14 - Life Below Water

  • 15 - Life on Land

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)

• SC.912.L.17 – Recognize the consequences of the interactions between humans and the environment. Application: Learners analyze how rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, coral disease, and other human-driven stressors degrade reef ecosystems. Coral resilience research and restoration practices are presented as science-based responses to mitigate these impacts and support long-term reef recovery.

• SC.912.L.15 – Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms. Application: Learners examine how genetic variation among coral species and genotypes influences survival under environmental stress. Research on trait-based selection and coral breeding illustrates how evolutionary principles are applied to conservation and restoration practice.

• SC.912.N.1 – Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, and conduct systematic observations to identify variables. Application: Learners observe how coral scientists define research questions, monitor environmental and biological variables, collect field and laboratory data, and evaluate evidence to guide restoration decisions, improve coral propagation systems, and strengthen reef recovery outcomes.

• bleaching: The process by which corals expel their symbiotic algae under stress, causing them to lose color and become vulnerable to disease and death.

• disease resistance: The capacity of a coral to defend against or recover from infection by pathogens.

• ecosystem: A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment.

• fragmentation: A propagation technique in which small pieces of coral are cut and grown into new colonies for research or reef restoration.

• genotype: The unique genetic makeup of an individual coral colony that influences its traits, including tolerance to heat and disease.

• monitoring: The systematic observation and measurement of coral reef health, including surveys of coral cover, species diversity, and environmental conditions.

• ocean acidification: The decrease in ocean pH caused by the absorption of excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which weakens coral skeletons and disrupts reef ecosystems.

• outplanting: The process of transplanting nursery-grown corals onto a reef to support restoration efforts.

• pathogen: A virus, bacterium, fungus, or parasite that can cause disease in corals or other organisms.

• raceway: A long, shallow, flow-through tank used in coral restoration facilities to culture and maintain coral fragments under controlled water temperature, flow, and light conditions.

• resilience: The ability of a coral to resist, withstand, or recover from environmental stressors such as high temperatures or disease.

• restoration: The science and practice of growing and replanting corals to rebuild degraded or damaged reef ecosystems.

• symbiosis: A close and long-term relationship between two different species, such as the partnership between corals and their photosynthetic algae called zooxanthellae.

• water quality: The chemical and physical characteristics of water, including temperature, salinity, and pH, that affect the health of coral and reef organisms.

• zooxanthellae: Microscopic photosynthetic algae that live inside coral tissue and provide corals with the majority of their energy through photosynthesis.

Play Coral WISE Bingo

Play virtual bingo using a computer, smartphone or tablet during your program to focus on key concepts and vocabulary.

• Online

🌐 Websites

• Mote Areas of Research: Coral Reef Ecosystems

• Internships

  1. Coral Reef Restoration Internships (Florida Keys)

  2. Coral Health & Disease Research Internships (Florida Keys)

  3. Coral Gene Bank Internship (Sarasota)

  4. Mesophotic Octocoral (Sarasota)

  5. Coral Restoration: Grazers Internship (Sarasota)

📚 Publications

• Mote Research Publications: "coral"

• Mote News: "coral"

🖥️ Videos

• Mote Marine Laboratory Florida Keys Coral Nursery. Florida’s coral reefs are down to just 2–3% of their original cover. Mote’s coral nurseries in the Florida Keys are using groundbreaking science—like microfragmentation—to grow corals up to 50× faster and restore reefs for future generations. https://youtu.be/CorEnkwIjA4

• Looe Nursery Tour Video

• Behind the Scenes: Corals Up Close

• Behind-the-Scenes: Ocean Acidification

• Behind-the-Scenes: CAOS

• Mote's restored coral spawns on Florida's Coral Reef!

• New coral disease research at Mote Marine Lab

• PBS Changing Planet features Mote’s coral research

• OceanX Reef On Fire: The Strange Disease Spreading through Florida's Corals