APOLLO BEACH, Fla. (WFLA)— More than 1,000 corals that were born at The Florida Aquarium are headed to the Florida Keys.

The elkhorn corals were transported to the Florida Keys, where they will be planted on the reef or nurtured in ocean-based nurseries, the Florida Aquarium said.

The baby corals were born in 2022 and 2023 at the Aquarium. They came from rescued parent colonies originally from Florida’s Coral Reef.

The rescued coral was taken to the Florida Aquarium’s Coral Conservation and Research Center in Apollo Beach before the 2023 mass bleaching hit, which was the worst on record, the Aquarium said.

The baby corals will help bring new life to the marine ecosystem by providing shelter, protecting coastlines from hurricanes, and supporting the state’s recreation, tourism, and fishing industries.

“The summer of 2023 was devastating to Florida’s elkhorn coral population,” said Keri O’Neil, Director of the Aquarium’s Coral Conservation Program. “The coral juveniles we are transferring today are made up of many new mother and father combinations that we hope will be more resilient to future stressors. Without human intervention, these parent corals would not be able to breed due to the extent of the loss. They’re a sign that, even during a crisis, we can make progress. By working together, we’re protecting a reef that’s essential to our environment, our economy, and the thousands of species that call it home.”

According to The Florida Aquarium, warming ocean temperatures have impacted 84% of the world’s coral reefs since January 2023.

Bleaching happens when corals get stressed, usually from heat, and release the helpful algae living inside them. Without the algae, the corals lose their color and become vulnerable to disease and even death, the Aquarium said.

The baby corals were taken to the Keys Marine Laboratory on Long Key in Layton, where they will slowly acclimate to the temperature-controlled seawater system before being distributed to four different partners:

• Coral Restoration Foundation
• Mote Marine Laboratory
• Reef Renewal USA
• Sustainable Ocean and Reefs

Each group will receive around 300 coral babies, with SOAR receiving 100.