"Two of the most important coral species that made up Florida's reef are now functionally extinct after a withering ocean heatwave caused catastrophic losses, scientists have found. The near-total collapse of the corals that once formed the backbone of reefs in Florida and the Caribbean means they can no longer play their previously crucial role in building and sustaining reef ecosystems that host a variety of marine life."
"The new research, published in the Science journal, analyzed the fate of staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals off the Florida coast following a severe marine heatwave in 2023, which raised temperatures on Florida's fraying coral reefs to their highest levels in over 150 years. The two species are complex, reef-building corals and are named because they resemble, respectively, the antlers of stags and elks."
"We're running out of time, said Ross Cunning, lead author of the new Florida study and a research biologist at Shedd Aquarium. Extreme heatwaves are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, and without immediate, ambitious actions to slow ocean warming and boost coral resilience, we risk the extinction of even more corals from reefs in Florida and around the world."
Two reef-building corals, staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata), suffered catastrophic losses following a 2023 marine heatwave that raised Florida reef temperatures to their highest in over 150 years. Diver surveys of more than 52,000 colonies across 391 sites recorded widespread mortality, with losses reaching 98–100% in the Florida Keys and about 38% in cooler south‑east Florida. These losses render the species functionally extinct in Florida, removing their critical role in building and sustaining reef ecosystems. Increasing frequency and severity of extreme marine heatwaves driven by climate change threatens further coral extinctions globally without immediate action.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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