As if Floridian corals weren’t under enough environmental pressures, this past week, temperatures hit triple digits in Florida Bay and the Keys causing 100% coral bleaching events in some areas. A world record-breaking sea surface temperature of 101.1F (38.4C) was registered at Manatee Bay, that’s hot-tub temperature, and it came after weeks of already dangerous extreme heat.
An urgent rescue operation is now underway to save Florida coral species from extinction with Multiple reefs around the Florida Keys now completely bleached or dead in a grim escalation that took place in as little as two weeks, coral experts said.
Scientists now say they expect “complete mortality” of the bleached reefs in just a week, and worry reefs at greater depths could face the same fate if the unprecedented ocean warmth continues to escalate.
Florida has lost up to 98% of its coral reefs and reef-building stony corals over the last 40 years. If temperatures reached that high in our reef aquariums we could expect complete mortality. It’s grim news indeed and a huge setback, for all those who are fighting to save America’s own “Great Barrier Reef.”
Image credits https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alghe_in_fondo_al_mare.jpg andhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Large_Bleached_Brain_Coral_on_Pickles_Reef,Key_Largo(15439279326).jpg
