Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Zachary Mason
  • Florida is home to the only barrier reef in the continental United States. This project uses oral history interviews of coral reef stakeholders in Florida to showcase major changes in the reef tract over the past few decades. The stakeholders interviewed include scientists, fishermen, and SCUBA divers.

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Alison Moulding Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

Alison works in the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office in the Coral Conservation Branch of the Protected Resources Division. Her area of expertise is coral ecology, particularly reproduction, recruitment, and restoration. She provides scientific support for management actions and coordinates recovery-related activities for the seven species of Caribbean coral listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Zachary Mason Saint Petersburg, FL NOAA Heritage Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Reef Information System, University of Maryland's Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies
Ian Enochs Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

Dr. Ian Enochs is the co-principal investigator of ACCRETE (Acidification, Climate, and Coral Reef Ecosystems TEam), NCRMP (National Coral Reef Monitoring Program), and AOAT (Atlantic Ocean Acidification Test-bed (NOAA) ). Dr. Enochs is the principal investigator of three projects: 1) Maug: a rare ocean acidification hotspot in US waters, 2) Incorporating Risk from Ocean Acidification into Acropora nurseries, and 3) Establishing numeric nutrient criteria for Southeast Florida Reefs. Enochs graduated cum laude from the University of Miami in 2006 and later earned his Ph.D.

Zachary Mason Miami, FL NOAA Heritage Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Reef Information System, University of Maryland's Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies
Laura Jay Grove Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

Laura Jay Grove is a research fishery biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) in Miami. Jay received her B.S. in marine biology from the University of New Hampshire, M.S. in marine science from the University of New England and Ph.D. in fisheries from Auburn University. She joined NOAA in 2016 and is presently the Coral Reef Conservation Program’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program’s (NCRMP) SEFSC lead. In this role, she is the lead fish data scientist ensuring high quality data collection and analysis.

Zachary Mason Fort Lauderdale, FL NOAA Heritage Program
Margaret Miller Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

Margaret Miller is the Research Director for SECORE International, a conservation nonprofit dedicated to creating and sharing the tools and technologies to sustainably restore coral reefs worldwide.  She leads SECORE’s research strategy and fosters research collaborations with scientific partners. Margaret serves on the US-Acropora Recovery Implementation Team (ARIT) and as a Councilor-At-Large for the International Coral Reef Society.

Zachary Mason Key Biscayne, FL NOAA Heritage Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Reef Information System, University of Maryland's Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies
Sarah Fangman Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

Sarah Fangman is superintendent of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, overseeing management and operations of a protected area covering 2,900 square nautical miles. She was appointed to the position in July 2017 after serving as superintendent of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Georgia. She has been with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries since 1998, after serving as a US Presidential Management Fellow with NOAA Fisheries in the Northwest and the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program in Washington, D.C.

Zachary Mason , Key West, FL NOAA Heritage Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Reef Information System, University of Maryland's Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies
Will Benson Decades of Change in the Florida Reef Tract: An Oral History Project

"[Capt.]Will Benson grew up on the waters of the Florida Keys. With a push pole in one hand and a camera in the other, Will has guided his clients and his audience to amazing memories on the flats and on film. His lifelong passion for the ocean is the heart and soul of WorldANGLING. As a professional guide he knows what it takes to create unforgettable experiences on the water and brings an immense dedication to the guide profession.

Zachary Mason Key West, FL NOAA Heritage Program, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Coral Reef Information System, University of Maryland's Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies