At the 5th Annual Florida Climate & Biodiversity Forecast Conference, Dr. Liv Liberman and Dr. Erinn Muller will highlight how breakthroughs in biotechnology and coral restoration, when paired with partnerships across institutions, are transforming the fight to protect Florida’s natural heritage.
It’s a timely theme. Florida’s biodiversity is under unprecedented pressure: reefs are bleaching, seagrasses are thinning, and warming waters threaten species from corals to manatees. But rather than resign to decline, researchers and conservationists across the Suncoast are forging innovative solutions that blend technology, biology, and collaboration.
One striking example comes from the Florida Aquarium, where scientists have developed biodegradable, 3D-printed shields that protect newly planted corals from grazing fish. By shielding fragile corals in their most vulnerable stage, survival rates rise significantly. Small tools like these can change the math of restoration—proof that targeted innovation can have outsized impact.
At the same time, groups like the Coral Restoration Foundation and Mote Marine Laboratory are working to expand the genetic diversity of Florida’s coral nurseries. In May, new fragments representing unique genetic lineages were distributed to sites across the Keys. These genotypes strengthen the resilience of restored reefs, giving them the evolutionary adaptability to withstand future heatwaves and disease outbreaks.
And monitoring tools are growing more sophisticated too. At the University of Miami, researchers have tested underwater “doorbell” cameras to track which fish feed on young corals. The data not only informs where to plant, but also opens the door to AI-powered analysis, where reef recovery can be assessed at scales impossible through human observation alone.
Each of these advances is impressive in its own right. But what makes them transformative is the collaboration behind them—aquariums, universities, nonprofits, and international partners aligning to share knowledge and scale solutions. Florida is fast becoming a living laboratory where cutting-edge science meets community action.
That’s the story Dr. Liberman and Dr. Muller will bring to the conference: a vision of conservation that doesn’t just react to crisis, but builds resilience for the future. Their message is both urgent and hopeful—Florida’s ecosystems are imperiled, but our capacity to innovate and cooperate is greater still.
Join us at the 5th Annual Florida Climate & Biodiversity Forecast Conference! Learn from the leaders shaping Florida’s conservation future, explore the technologies and collaborations making a difference, and be part of the conversation about what comes next.
Get your tickets here: https://theclimateadaptationcenter.networkforgood.com/events/85027-5th-annual-florida-climate-forecast-conference-climate-and-biodiversity