This photograph of Jeff's Reef in the Experimental Oculina Research Reserve was taken in 1980, before the area was heavily fished. Notice the numerous fish and the heads of living Oculina varicosa in growth position. The broken coral rubble comprises dead specimens of Oculina varicosa . This chunk of living Oculina varicosa , a fragile, branching, deep-water coral, has been secured to a transplant module made of concrete blocks. The module will be lowered to the sea floor, where it is hoped that the coral will grow and eventually help restore the shelf-edge reef habitat that is used by spawning grouper and other fish.
Coral transplantation appears to be a viable restoration strategy.
The video images also showed new settlement and recruitment of other species to the modules.