Oculina Reefs

Documentary of the discovery, research and efforts to protect the deep-water Oculina coral reefs off Florida.

These Oculina reefs occur exclusively off eastern Florida at depths of 300 ft, and nowhere else on earth.  First discovered by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution scientists with the Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles in 1975, they were made the first deep-water coral marine protected area in the world in 1984. Conservation efforts continue today to prevent destructive bottom trawl fisheries from fishing within the Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern.