Coral reefs support more than a quarter of all marine life, yet many are critically endangered. In the Florida Keys, the once common elk horn coral (Acropora palmata) has experienced steep declines since the 1970s. Preliminary blame was attributed to global warming and coral bleaching, but in fact, a human bacterial pathogen associated with a wide range of serious infections was the culprit. James Porter (Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia) will discuss how Key West residents are saving these reefs and he will highlight the intricate links among conservation, medicine, public health, economics, and politics.