#Florida’s Record-Breaking Sea Temperatures Affecting #Coral
Story by Catrin Einhorn and Jason Gulley, July 31, 2023
"With #climateChange ravaging Florida’s beloved reef, people who’ve devoted their careers to restoring coral in the sea are now racing to get it out of the water, to tanks on land. They’re pushing through feelings of grief and fear over the future to save what genetic material and young corals they can. But in the background, an existential question looms: How can they restore reefs if the ocean is getting too hot for coral to live there?
"While marine #heatwaves occur naturally, the eye-popping sea temperatures recorded off the Keys this month (one reading hit 101 degrees Fahrenheit, or just over 38 Celsius) have been made worse by global warming, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The world’s oceans have absorbed 90% of the additional heat unleashed by people burning fossil fuels and razing forests. Currently, about 44% of the #global #ocean is in a #heatwave.
"The mass coral bleaching happening throughout the Keys is the most severe in the state’s history, Derek Manzello, the coordinator of NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch program, said. Surveys over the next few months are needed to understand how much coral has died.
"'I fear for the worst,' he said."
#Coral #OceanTemperatures #OceanHeating #ClimateGrief #CoralBleaching #Dieoff #Extinction #ExtremeHeat #WaterIsLife
@DoomsdaysCW This is why several insurance companies have started pulling out of Florida this year
