Some Florida Keys coral reefs are losing their color weeks earlier than normal this summer because of record-high water temperatures, meaning they are under stress and their health is potentially endangered, federal scientists say.
Some Florida Keys coral reefs are losing their color weeks earlier than normal this summer because ofThe corals should bethis time of year, but are swiftly going white, said Katey Lesneski, research and monitoring coordinator for Mission: Iconic Reefs, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched to protect Florida coral reefs.
Liv Williamson / University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science via AP Coral reefs are made up of tiny organisms that link together. The reefs get their color from the algae that live inside them and are the corals’ food. When temperatures get too high, the coral expels the algae, making the reefs appear white or bleached. That doesn’t mean they are dead, but the corals can starve and are more susceptible to disease.
Still, forecasting what will happen the rest of the summer is hard, De La Cour and Bruckner said. While water temperatures could continue to spike — which could be devastating — a tropical storm or hurricane could churn the water and cool it down. Dusty air from the Sahara Desert moving across the Atlantic and settling over FloridaBecause of climate change and other factors, the Keys waters have lost 80% to 90% of their coral over the last 50 years, Bruckner said.
“We are looking for answers and we are trying to do something, rather than just looking away,” Bruckner said.
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