According to current scientific data, the coral reef off the southern tip of Florida was severely damaged by the summer 2023 heat wave.
As the US marine agency NOAA announced on Thursday (local time), when it surveyed 64 sites on the reef, it found that less than 22 percent of the approximately 1,500 staghorn corals (Acropora cervicornis) there had survived. Elkhorn corals were found in only three places.
The data provided a “look into the future of corals in a warming world,” warned NOAA expert Sarah Fangman, citing global climate change. They said the findings will also inform the authority’s efforts to restore nearly 280,000 square meters of coral reef in the Florida Keys – the islands at the southernmost tip of the US state.
Problems with coral bleaching
Last summer, the sea temperature in the area rose to 37.8 degrees. When water temperatures rise too much, the phenomenon known as coral bleaching occurs. The corals then shed the algae that live within them, which is their main food source. As a result, the corals lose their colors and are in mortal danger.
Source: Krone
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