Reef Cell's artificial reef modules and coral restoration appliances are design driven by the latest research in marine ecosystems. Our goal is to design and fabricate multifunctional bio-productive artificial reef modules and appliances that are responsive to the current challenges facing the ocean. By collaborating with marine biologists and ocean scientists, Reef Cells strives to develop and provide effective support materials to aid them in their research while creating new coral reefs where none existed before with the goal of increasing habitat opportunities and structural substrate for colonization by attaching marine animals such as corals and sponges.
Below is a sampling of recent research conducted by marine biologists and ocean scientists including presentations made at the recent Florida Keys and Marine Science Conference and Workshop (FKMSCW 2025) organized by the University of Florida IFAS. Valuable information found in these reports has help Reef Cells to design artificial reef modules and coral restoration appliances that respond to ecological needs identified in these studies.
Note: The copyright of each report is the property of the authors and institutions identified in each respective report.
• The Influence of Structural Complexity on the Fine-Scale Diurnal Space Use of Reef Fishes
• Refining Nursery-to-Reef Restoration Practices for Resilient Stony Coral Enhancement of Florida’s Coral Reef
• Artificial Reefs in the Florida Keys: Opportunities to Support Fisheries Management Objectives
• Using Habitat Support Structures to Address Habitat Deficits Within Bayside Nearshore Hardbottom of the FKNMS
• Building Capacity for Resilience on Florida’s Coral Reef Through Coral Rescue and Propagation
• Using Habitat Support Structures to Address Habitat Deficits Within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• From Top to Bottom: Rethinking Coral Reef Community Structure After Decades of Disturbance
• Spatial Patterns and Habitat Structure Influence on Seagrass Invertebrate Communities Across the Florida Keys
• Spectroscopic Tracking of the Dissolved Organic Carbon(DOC) Conversion to Carbon Dioxide (CO2) for Isotopic Analysis and Carbon Fate Tracking
• Novel Methods for Tracking Shell-Crushing Predation in the Florida Keys
• Development of a Comprehensive Decision Support System for Florida’s Coral Reef
• Tracking Sea Turtles with Photos: A Citizen Science Photo-ID Initiative in the Florida Keys
• Florida’s Marine Aquarium Fishery: Integrating Regulatory Strengths with Fisher Engagement for Coral Reef Conservation
• Length-Based Risk Analysis of Management Options for the Southern Florida USA Multispecies Coral Reef Fish Fishery
• Mesoconsumer Trophic Linkages Across Reef-Seagrass Seascapes Within Sanctuary Preservation Areas in the Florida Keys
• The Dance of Death Returns: Keys Spinning Fish Event, Historical Context, and Overview from FWC
• Spatiotemporal Analyses of the Biological Condition Gradient Model on Florida’s Coral Reef
• The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program’s Environmental Monitoring in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• The Aquarius Coral Reef Observatory: A Flexible Remote Sensing Solution for the Florida Reef Tract
• Helping the Reef Biome Emigrate Away from Florida’s Dying Reefs
• Mapping Undiscovered Bonefish Spawning Aggregation Sites in the Florida Keys
• The Elusive Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) of The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• From Nurseries to Reefs: Spiny Lobsters as Lenses of Habitat Degradation in the Florida Keys
• Shallow Seas and Shifting-Baselines: A Glimpse of the Florida Keys Undersea History
• Migratory Patterns and Seasonal Habitat Use of Great Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna mokarran) in the Southeastern United States
• Optimizing Invertebrate Herbivore Restocking Strategiesto Enhance Coral Recruitment
• Length Distributions of Aggregating Permit (Trachinotusfalcatus) in Response to the Western Dry Rocks Seasonal Closure
• Mapping Seagrass-Coral Reef Mosaics Using Satellite Imagery to Quantify Seascape Structure in the Florida Keys
• Marine Debris Characterization of the Marquesas, Florida
• Rapid Increases in Tolerance of Surviving Corals Across Extreme Heatwaves
• Pioneering a First-in-Kind Guide-Led Model for Rapid Scientific and Ecological Response
• Mapping Spatial-Temporal Changes in Restored Coral Reefs using Multiple Mapping Technologies
• Investigating the Potential Sublethal Physiological Impacts of the ‘Spinning Fish Condition’ for Coastal Sharks in the Lower Florida Keys
• Eighteen Years of Goliath Grouper Research in Florida: Documenting the Recovery of an Iconic Fish
• Characterizing and Forecasting Ecosystem Responses to Multiple Stressors Across the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Population Demographics of Xestospongia muta on Ten Florida Keys Reefs from 2014 to 2024
• Nutrient Sources and Climate Oscillations Drive Nutrient Availability and Seagrass Abundance in the Florida Keys
• Presence, Abundance, and Distribution of Common Invasive and Non-Native Species in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Prototyping a Modular Autonomous Data Buoy for Video and Data Monitoring in the Florida Keys
• Will Stone Crab Larvae Be Able to Swim Away from Their Future Climate Troubles?
• Integrated Science for Atlantic Tarpon Conservation in the Florida Keys
• Smalltooth Sawfish: 15 Years of Research to Promote Recovery of a Critically Endangered Species
• Diversity in Disguise: Leveraging Cryptic Coral Diversity for Conservation in South Florida
• Determining Ranging Patterns and Association Preferences of Bottlenose Dolphin Communities in Southeast Florida
• Evaluating Atlantic Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajara)on Florida Reefs Using 25 Years of Visual Surveys
• National Coral Reef Monitoring Program’s Reef Fish Surveys Support Diverse, Multi Agency Fisheries Management Efforts
• Disturbance Response Monitoring: Two Decades Spent Documenting Stressors Impacting Coral Populations Across Florida’s Coral Reef
• Biodiversity Hotspots of Satellite-Tracked Marine Turtles in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Modeling the Impacts of Coral Reef Restoration on Wave Energy Dissipation at Eastern Dry Rocks, Florida
• Connectivity and Adaptation of South Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Populations: A Genomic Perspective
• Getting the Water Right: Economic Links Between Everglades Restoration and the Florida Keys
• Water Mass Histories Modulate Reef Carbonate Chemistry: A High-Resolution Model for the Florida Keys
• Hydrodynamic and Salinity Modeling in Florida Bay
• Hydrologic Connectivity Between the Everglades and the Florida Bay Through Coastal Mangroves and Freshwater Sloughs
• Octocoral Population Response and Recovery to Reef Disturbances
• Murky Waters, Clear Signals: The Behavioral and Epigenetic Responses of Bicolor Damselfish to Increased Turbidity
• Seascape and Food Web Impacts of the Fish Spinning Phenomenon in the Florida Keys
• Regional Differences in Permit Diet and Resource Use Suggest Shifts in Seagrass Flat Food Webs
• Site Selection for Florida’s Coral Reef Restoration & Recovery (FCR3) Initiative
• Restoring Balance: Tracing Nutrient Patterns from Ridge to the Reef
• Queen Conch and Marine Conservation Through Signage
• What Happens in Florida Bay Does Not Stay in Florida Bay: Seagrass Die-Off Under Climate-Change
• Developing a Machine Learning-Powered Boat Detector for Underwater Acoustic Data
• Horror, Homing, and Habituation: Effects of Translocation Between Aggregations of Queen Conch in the FKNMS
• A Regional Survey of Clypeasteroid and Spatangoid Echinoids of the Central Florida Keys
• A Decade of Rapid Coral Community Change on the Florida Reef Tract: Insights from NCRMP
• The Potential of South Florida Seagrass Meadows as Natural Climate Solutions
• Microbiome Manipulation: Using Beneficial Microorganisms of Coral (BMCs) to Increase Disease Resilience
• Sponge Restoration Aquaculture: Reproductive Viability Following Propagation for Nearshore Spongiidae Species in the Florida Keys
• The Last Genotypes: Elkhorn Coral Demography, Genotypic Diversity, and Restoration in Florida
• Florida’s Coral Reef Water Quality Data Compilation, Analysis, and Decision Support
• The Human Side of Spiny Lobsters: Situation Assessment of the Commercial Fishery
• Multidecadal Analysis of Fish Community Change Across the Florida Keys Reef Tract
• Collaborative Fisheries Science with a SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates)
• Photogrammetric Analysis Reveals Distinct Topographic Footprints for Stony Coral Genera in Dry Tortugas National Park
• Movement, Home Range, and Habitat Selection of Mesopredators in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Quantifying and Modeling the Spatial Patterns of the Florida Keys Recreational Reef Fishery
• Drivers of Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) Population Trends and Emerging Risks to Sustainability in Florida
• Marine Lens Florida Keys: Empowering Participatory Scientists to Explore Marine Habitats via Zooniverse
• Decades of Dedication: Fish Spawning Aggregation Research in the Florida Keys
• Restoration Strategies are Preventing the Local Extirpation of Two Critically Endangered Coral Species
• Assessing Genetic Connectivity of the Permit (Trachinotusfalcatus) Between South Florida and Belize
• Hot-Spot Cluster Analysis of Large Parrotfish in the Florida Reef Tract to Inform Restoration
• Seagrass Non-Cryptic Fish Assemblage Across the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary-USA Seascape
• Florida Keys Aquatic Preserves Seagrass Monitoring Program
• Benthic Dinoflagellates, Spinning Fish, and Sawfish Mortalities: Is There a Connection?
• Diadema antillarum Production and Distribution to Florida Partners – Creating a Growout and Stocking Network
• Utilizing Alkalinity Enhancement to Increase Growth Rates of Corals in Ex-Situ Nurseries
• Spinning Sawfish in the Florida Keys: Weather Conditions, Movements, and Mortality
• Developing Realistic Science-Based Performance Standards for Acropora Relocation Efforts
• Effect of Elevated Temperature on Oxygen Consumption and Survival in Caribbean King Crab (Maguimithrax spinosissimus) Larvae
• Identifying Nutrient Sources Driving Algal Blooms in Florida Bay: A Causal Modelling Approach
• Uncovering the Fate of Tagged Reef Fish Through Marina Telemetry and Angler Participation
• From Cryptofauna to Cleaners: Effects of Mission: Iconic Reef Restoration on Invertebrates and Fish
• Permit Spatial Ecology at Western Dry Rocks: Insights from a Newly Established Seasonal Fishing Closure in the Florida Keys
• Moving Beyond Ecology: Valuing Restoration Success with Socioeconomics
• Population Genetics of Sponge Restoration in Florida Bay
• Evening Movement Patters in Permit Pre-Spawn Aggregationsas Observed by Active Acoustic Tracking
• Overview of the State’s Water Quality Monitoring Programin the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Aquatic Preserves
• Identify and Widen Bottlenecks in the Asexual Restoration of Endangered Orbicella Boulder Corals
• Assessing Coastal Blue Carbon Residence Times Using Radiocarbon Techniques
• Incorporating Mutton Snapper Spawning Aggregation Length Demographics Reveal Disparities Between Physiological and Functional Maturity in Snapper
• Utilizing eDNA Metabarcoding to Monitor Biodiversity at Mission: Iconic Reef Sites in the FL Keys
• Development of a Sponge Restoration Strategy for Florida Bay
• Assessing the Impact of Elevated Temperatures on Caribbean King Crab Physiology
• Movement, Habitat Use, and Seasonality of Coastal Sharks in the Lower Florida Keys
• Quarry-Based Mariculture of the Caribbean King Crab to Support Reef Restoration
• Baseline Mapping of Florida’s Largest Yellow Finger Coral, Madracis auretenra, Patches Amidst Environmental Stress
• Assessing the Long-Term Growth and Survival of Boulder Corals Outplanted in the Florida Keys
• Crumbling Coral: Investigating How Changes in Structural Complexity Impact Cryptofauna Communities
• Bleaching and Recovery of Boulder Corals on a Patch Reef in the Middle Florida Keys
• The Boom and Bust of Coral Reef Accretion Potential Associated with Restoration and Coral Bleaching
• Developing SNP Based Genomic Markers for 20 Scleractinian Caribbean Corals
• Warming Sea Surface Temperature Trends in the Florida Keys: Implications for Queen Conch Population Persistence
• Spatiotemporal Abundance of Whitespotted Eagle Rays in the Florida Keys
• Decreasing Water Quality Unmasked on Florida’s Coral Reef
• Treating All Roadway Stormwater Runoff to Remove Contaminants.
• Core Healing in Orbicella faveolata as an Indicator of Colony Health Across Multiple Gradients
• Losing Levels: Shifts in Reef Fish Trophic Dynamics Across a Coral Habitat Gradient
• Paving the Way to Sponge Restoration in Florida Bay: Evaluating Sponge Restoration Techniques
• Longterm Use of a Shark Breeding Ground: Three Decades of Mating Site Fidelity in the Nurse Shark
• Monitoring Thermally Preconditioned Pseudodiploriaclivosa Post-Outplanting
• Honoring the Past, Exploring the Future: Human Dimensions of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fishery
• Sexual Reproduction and Seedbanks of the Seagrass Syringodium filiforme as a Tool for Seagrass Restoration