FLORIDA KEYS — Several Florida coral species are struggling due to this summer’s record temperatures.
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Our world’s oceans are just about as warm as they’ve ever been. That’s especially true in the Florida Keys, where temperatures in July peaked near 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which is bad news for the largest coral reef in the lower 48.
“[It’s] basically starving the coral. It turns white, which is the calcium carbonate under the coral skeleton,” said Justin Zimmerman, the supervisor for Sea World Aquarium. “It’s not just hearing, but it’s also the pollution and disease. So, the corals are really struggling.”
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Losing large coral reefs could be an environmental disaster.
Zimmerman said, “It’s one of Florida’s native treasures, an amazing forest of the sea.”
Caribbean reefs are home to about 25% of the ocean’s fish and serve a critical role during hurricanes.
“They can reduce up to 95% of the wave action during high tide and storm surge,” Zimmerman explained.
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So, experts like Zimmerman stopped up to rescue some of the coral.
“Potentially, we can grow these corals indefinitely. We can keep corals in our care for years and years,” Zimmerman said. “They don’t age, continue to grow and do very well in captivity. They are delicate but do well.”
The goal will be to put the healthy coral into the reef to hopefully bring the struggling reefs back to life.
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