Stony coral tissue loss disease has stretched across Florida’s coasts for five years, resulting in the destruction of 95 percent of coral colonies in the Florida Keys. "It's probably the worst coral disease outbreak that's ever been recorded anywhere," says UM marine biologist Andrew Baker.

Coral reefs protect the coastlines from storms. Their destruction could gravely harm Miami’s environmental and tourist economies. Baker and UM’s dive team are removing healthy colonies from the Dry Tortugas to bring to UM’s Key Biscayne lab temporarily for protection and to use as seed stock for breeding the next generation of coral.

• Andrew Baker