Healthy staghorn coral were crucial builders of Florida’s coral reef. Today, few survive there. (Photo: Maya Gomez.)
Two iconic coral species are now functionally extinct off Florida, study finds
A recent marine heat wave had a calamitous effect on two of Florida’s most important coral species.
In early June 2023, the coral reefs in the lower Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas were stunning. We were in diving gear, checking up on hundreds of corals we had transplanted as part of our experiments. The corals’ classic orange-brown colors showed they were thriving.
Just three weeks later, we got a call — a marine heat wave was building, and water temperatures on the reef were dangerously high. Our transplanted corals were bleaching under the heat stress, turning bone white. Some were already dead.