FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Beneath the surface of the Atlantic, about 15 miles off the coast of Fort Pierce, lies one of the most unique coral reefs in the world — and one of the most fragile.
Known as the Oculina Bank, this 300-square-mile deep-water reef was the first of its kind ever discovered.
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But this protected ecosystem now faces potential destruction as federal officials consider reopening parts of it to shrimp trawling after decades of restrictions.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight federally appointed councils across the country, proposed two amendments this year that would allow commercial shrimp boats to drag massive nets across portions of the reef.
The proposals directly respond to a Trump administration executive order calling for reduced fishing regulations and enhanced economic opportunities for the seafood industry.
"We would be killing accidentally and incidentally many 100-year-old coral systems that support literally thousands of different species," said Jim Moir, executive director of Indian River Keeper.
The Oculina Bank sits 200 to 300 feet below the surface, built from a rare coral called Oculina varicosa that glows white in the deep, dark waters. Unlike most reefs that need shallow sunlight, this unique ecosystem thrives in the depths.
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Dr. Grant Gilmore, a marine scientist who has dived the reef, described towering coral formations reaching 50 feet high and stretching for miles.
"This is extremely unique," Gilmore said. "That species only occurs along this coast of Florida, and no place else."
Federal scientists discovered the reef in 1975, documenting an underwater paradise teeming with snapper, grouper and thousands of other species. By 1984, the government declared it a "Habitat Area of Particular Concern."
But scientists say shrimp trawling devastated the ecosystem, and discovered 90% of the reef was destroyed by the early 2000s as massive nets dragged across the seafloor, scooping up everything in their path.
"It's just rubble on the bottom," Gilmore said. "You can see the scars from the otter doors. You can see occasionally nets that have broken off."
The federal government responded by creating the nation's first marine protected area in 1994, temporarily closing a third of the reef to trawling. Protections later expanded to most of the reef and became permanent.
Now the federally appointed council wants to reverse course.
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Bob Zales, executive director of the Southeastern Fishing Association and a generational shrimper, believes reopening access is essential for the struggling rock shrimp industry.
"The shrimping industry is teetering on the brink of extinction," Zales said.
Council data shows the rock shrimp industry has plummeted from over 700 trips per year in the mid-1990s to under 100 since 2010. The number of active rock shrimpers dropped from 144 in 1996 to less than 30, with just 12 active boats in 2018.
Zales attributes the decline to high costs, competition from imported shrimp and closures of previously open fishing areas.
Space launches have created another challenge. Coast Guard records WPTV obtained show waters off Port Canaveral were restricted at least 50 times this year due to rocket launches.
"When these launches go up or are scheduled to go up, they have to shut down access to the area for safety reasons," Zales said.
Amendment 11 would reopen a 16-square-nautical-mile area along the northeastern edge of the Oculina Bank to shrimp trawling. Amendment 12 would expand access to 24 nautical miles.
"Every little bit helps," said Zales.
Economic arguments favor reef protection
Dr. Edie Widder, a marine biologist who has studied deep-water reefs for decades, argues the ecological cost of opening the bank to trawling would far outweigh the fishery's small economic return.
"The rock shrimp fishery is a niche market," Widder said. "It's a very small market compared to the commercial fishery and the recreational fishery in Florida."
NOAA data WPTV dug up supports this assessment.
In 2023, brown rock shrimp landed nationwide totaled just 600,000 pounds worth $1 million. That same year, Florida fishermen alone landed nearly 100 million pounds of fish worth just under $300 million — species like snapper and grouper that depend on the reef to spawn.
Previous council studies show that between 2003 and 2014, only 1.7% of shrimping took place inside the reef — fewer than 2 trips out of every 100.
"If you just want to do it on an economic basis, you want to sustain that commercial fishery and that recreational fishery, you need to be able to sustain the spawning grounds," Widder said. "It's just basic biology."
Public overwhelmingly opposes reopening
About 150 people from across the country submitted comments to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
Approximately 120 opposed both proposals, citing environmental concerns. Only 25 people supported both amendments, while five backed one amendment but not the other.
Many pushing to reopen the bank argue the areas in question no longer hold living coral. The council's own proposal cites NOAA mapping that in 2022 "did not note the presence of live, standing, dead or coral rubble within the proposed areas for shrimp trawling."
But that same study warned sediment from trawling could drift into the reef and smother living coral, while snapper and grouper could be swept up as bycatch.
"It's the nursery for those fish species that are going to be supplying our children and our great-grandchildren's future fish," Moir said. "We're risking covering these corals with plumes of sediment that are dragged up from the bottom and carried over those coral reefs by the currents that exist on the bottom."
Widder expressed skepticism about the industry's ability to avoid environmental damage.
"I think they're being overly optimistic about how they can place their nets," Widder said. "They've never seen those plumes like some of us that dive in submersibles have."
The 16-member South Atlantic Marine Fishery Council is currently reviewing public hearing comments. They will decide on the proposals in December and submit a final draft amendment early next year.
