Record Heat Decimates Cultivated Coral in Florida Keys

Over three-quarters of human-cultivated coral in the Florida Keys have died due to record high seawater temperatures, marking a significant setback for restoration efforts.

Record hot seawater killed more than three-quarters of human-cultivated coral in the Florida Keys, severely impacting species vulnerable to climate change.
Researchers found widespread death among both repopulated and wild coral across five Florida Keys reefs, with only 22% of staghorn and about 5% of elkhorn corals surviving.
Human-caused climate change, exacerbated by a natural El Niño event, is blamed for the water temperatures reaching lethal levels for the coral.
The loss not only affects the ecological and economic benefits provided by the reefs but also the intrinsic beauty that attracts many to the Keys.
Efforts to repopulate the reefs with more heat-resistant coral continue, but experts warn that without significant reductions in fossil fuel emissions and major policy changes, restoration efforts may be doomed to fail.

Voice of America (VOA News)