- Molasses Reef
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This article is about the reef near Key Largo, Florida. For other uses, see Molasses Reef (disambiguation).
Molasses Reef is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It lies to the southeast of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This reef is within a Sanctuary Preservation Area (SPA).
An unmanned reef light is located near the reef.
On August 4, 1984, the motor vessel Wellwood, a 122-meter freighter carrying pelletized chicken feed, ran aground on Molasses Reef. The total destruction from the grounding included 5,805 square meters of living corals and injury to 75,000 square meters of reef habitat. The vessel was removed by the US Coast Guard. NOAA coordinated an effort to restore damage to the reef, by placing reef modules in the injured areas to provide a substrate for new coral colonization. Biological restoration took place using transplants from Pickles Reef and the facilitation of coral larval settlement. NOAA settled a claim worth $6.275 million with the responsible parties, the Wellwood Shipping Company (owner of the vessel) and the Hanseatic Shipping Company (shipping management company),in 1986, and all payments to NOAA were completed by 2001.[1]
Approximate coordinates: 25°00′50″N 80°22′15″W / 25.01389°N 80.37083°WCoordinates: 25°00′50″N 80°22′15″W / 25.01389°N 80.37083°W
Gallery
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A Midnight Parrotfish and a yellowtail snapper swimming on Molasses Reef
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Various soft corals at Molasses Reef
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Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) with white spot disease at Molasses Reef in March 2008
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Various fish species (Chubs, Blue Chromis, Sergeant majors, Bar Jacks) at Molasses Reef
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A ship winch at Molasses Reef
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Montastraea annularis at Molasses Reef, March 2008
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Trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) at Molasses Reef, March 2008
External Links
- Air Photo of Molasses Reef in 1984, showing the wreck of the Wellwood as well as the reef light (near center)
- Benthic Habitat Map
References
- ^ Wellwood Coral Reef Restoration Project, accessed 12 January 2011
- NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Maps, Florida Keys East
- NOAA Website on Molasses Reef
- NOAA Navigational Chart 11464
Corals and coral reefs Stony corals 
Soft corals - Alcyonacea
- Black coral
- Bamboo coral
- Organ pipe coral
- Sea fans
- Sea pens
Coral reefs - Atoll reef
- Cay
- Fringing reef
- Microatoll
- Coral reef fish
- Census of Coral Reefs
- The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs
Coral regions Coral diseases - Coral bleaching
- Black band disease
- Skeletal eroding band
- White band disease
- White pox disease
Protection - Coral reef protection
- Project AWARE
- Reef Check
- Reef Ball
- Coral Reef Alliance
- International Society for Reef Studies
Other - Artificial reef
- Coral aquaculture
- Coral dermatitis
- Coral (precious)
- Coral rag
- Coral sand
- Coralline algae
- Human impact
- Fire coral
- Rugosa (extinct)
- Tabulate (extinct)
- Zooxanthella
Categories:- Marine biology
- Florida Keys
- Coral reefs of Florida
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