Scientists: Florida Keys coral reefs are already bleaching as water temperatures hit record highs
WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | By Associated PressPublished July 23, 2023 at 7:00 AM EDT
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 said.
The corals should be vibrant and colorful this 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.
“The corals are pale, it looks like the color’s draining out,” said Lesneski, who has spent several days on the reefs over the last two weeks. “And some individuals are stark white. And we still have more to come.”
Scientists with NOAA this week raised their coral bleaching warning system to Alert Level 2 for the Keys, their highest heat stress level out of five. That level is reached when the average water surface temperature is about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) above the normal maximum for eight straight weeks.
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Scientists: Florida Keys coral reefs are already bleaching as water temperatures hit record highs
Federal scientists say they are already seeing some bleaching in the reefs. That doesn't usually happen until August.
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