Elkhorn coral functionally extinct from Broward to Keys after 2023-2024 heat waves
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Scientists transported 30 pieces of elkhorn coral from nurseries off the Florida coast to a land-based hatchery on Wednesday, fearing that warming waters could trigger a mass bleaching event this summer that could wipe out the species, according to a University of Miami marine biologist.
Elkhorn coral populations were decimated by a 2023 heat wave and a less severe one in 2024, leaving the species functionally extinct from Broward County to the Florida Keys, said Diego Lirman, associate professor of marine biology at the University of Miami.
Heat causes coral to bleach, which can be fatal if it lasts long enough, Lirman said in a statement.
The operation moved the coral fragments from in-water nurseries to a controlled facility on land.