Pompano Drop Off Acropora field?

[Trigger-F]

Hi,

I'll be shore diving next week down in Pompano (will be staying at a hotel around 8th street) and am looking for any info on some Acropora field that is pretty large and extensive? I've seen it on some YouTube videos but have not been able to find it past 2-3 dives(I've seen some acropora growing here and there but this one looks like a full blown reef packed with staghorn acropora?) Does anyone have any info on that? See video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7mQuwTZSH4

Dive the Pompano Drop Off Reef Dive Site with South Florida Diving Headquarters

 

[Zaixon]

I actually found this on accident. We were shore diving the Copenhagen and on the way back swam over it. It was not as far as the moorings but def past the half way point when swimming to the moorings from the beach (closer to the moorings than the beach) When we did the dive we parked at the Sea Watch restraint (tip the valet and they'll usually let you park there)

 

[Trigger-F]

Thanks! I thought it was closer to what is marked as "Drop off reef" on the following website (it's further south if it's by the Copenhagen wreck)). Will need to look into this(where to park etc.). Is it healthy? How big is the area with the staghorn corals?

Visit one of the hundreds of dive and snorkel sites in beautiful sunny South Florida with South Florida Diving Headquarters

Location: Pompano Beach (ridge complex)

Description: The Drop Off covers over 25 mooring buoys including the Nursery & Copenhagen.. The reef line runs parallel to shore. The predominant ledge faces to the east. There are also nice ledges and holes to the west. As the reef slopes to the west you will find Staghorn Coral growing along the leeward side in places. The Drop Off is covered with marine species. Usually very little to no current.

Navigation: Doesn't really matter which mooring buoy you start on you can usually go in either direction. Follow the eastern ledge for the best scenic tour. If you are lobster hunting try also the western holes and ledges.

 

[drinksfromtap]

I've seen that staghorn field on the surface swim out to the Copenhagen from the Sea Watch as well. Usually, the groups that I dive with will call ahead and reserve a spot for lunch, and eat lunch there after the dive so it's a mutual benefit for us and them (and lessens the risk of getting towed and/or losing the privilege of being able to park/dive from there in the future )

 

[RickI]

I came across the A. cervicornis patch west of the Copanhagen on the second reef in 2009. I was very impressed by the abundance and vitality of the corals which I guessed had developed after the 2004/2005 hurricane years. At the time staghorn coral had largely vanished from much of the Keys and here was a large patch off Ft. Lauderdale. I put together a short post about it at Staghorn Comeback ... off Ft. Lauderdale??? - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

I went back in 2010 and saw a high percentage of mortality presumably through a bleaching event. I don't know that we have had any new bleaching events in the last few years fortunately. The fore reef off Key Largo looked particularly good last summer. Perhaps the staghorn off the Seawatch restaurant has become more healthy again as well?

If you swim off the beach off the north end of the Seawatch restaurant, you will see aggregations along the western margin of the second reef terrace, about 300 to 600 ft. west of the mooring buoys. This area is west of the inner, west facing ledge of that reef. The staghorn patches reportedly extended from South Palm Beach down to at least Hollywood in 2009, so you should find something in that area.

 

[Trigger-F]

Wow.. nice video. Looks like they are coming back. Perhaps it's a result of the Coral restoration project down in the Keys(when they spawn, they end up north of Key Largo due to the gulfstream). I've heard there's some colonies in Palm beach too but at deeper depths. The ones I've seen by the drop off looked healthy but were sparse.

 

[RickI]

This was in 2009 and as I said, these corals had a major die off within the following year likely due to bleaching due to water temperatures. I have a video some place that I can put up with the 2010 condition of the A. cervicornis growth in the area if there is interest. Water temperatures have been less extreme for the last few years which may help or perhaps hurt coral prospects off this area. Staghorn used to have good area coverage in this area and south to Ft. Lauderdale based on facies, dead coral pieces, scattered all over the place in the early 1970's. Despite this, all I ever saw were smaller, isolated colonies of staghorn over the second reef terrace in those days. I had never seen such large areas of coverage off Ft. Lauderdale since 1971 as evident off the Seawatch in 2009. I speculated that the water was still turbid but not as cool as it normally was following the influence of climate change substantially aiding coral growth. The warmer water promoted staghorn growth as opposed to killing it as happened further south in the Keys with higher temperatures. I may be wrong but suspect activities in the Keys involving coral transplantation weren't a significant factor in the growth of staghorn in this area in 2009 due to transport by the Florida Current. We have had staghorn off the coast for at least 40 years that I know of, just not with large area of coverage that I noticed five years ago.

Wow.. nice video. Looks like they are coming back. Perhaps it's a result of the Coral restoration project down in the Keys(when they spawn, they end up north of Key Largo due to the gulfstream). I've heard there's some colonies in Palm beach too but at deeper depths. The ones I've seen by the drop off looked healthy but were sparse.

 

[Trigger-F]

It could be it's Slow Tissue Necrosis(starts at the base), plus I've heard some of the hairy algae have been affecting them for a while(especially summertime). I've kept Acros in a relatively large tank and have always had trouble keeping them alive for a long time(very sensitive to temp fluctuations, salinity, calcium and trace elements variations). If they are established and growing there, conditions must be favorable(they seem to thrive on constant current) and in shallow water. Let's hope they'll continue to grow(sometimes they don't do well for a while , then come back strong). They are beautiful corals none-the-less. Gotta find a way to go check that area.