Two Florida coral species declared ‘functionally extinct’
Mydlarz added that no other species in the Atlantic grows this large or forms such an extensive network.
“They are the only ones that provide this true type of 3D structure,” she said.
There are a few pockets of coral survivors, including remnants to the north near Miami and Broward County. However, researchers believe there is little hope of them causing a comeback. Corals reproduce by releasing eggs and sperm that mix with the water and settle, but ocean currents will prevent those reproductive cells from drifting south, Cunning said.
Although this study focused on Florida, the 2023 heat wave had a dramatic effect on elkhorn and staghorn corals in the Caribbean, outside researchers said.
Stacey Williams, science director of ISER Caribe, a nonprofit research and education organization focused on coral restoration, said extreme temperatures have killed almost all of the elkhorn corals in southern Puerto Rico. Then, the heatwaves of 2024 devastated some northern colonies that had shown more resilience. His organization focuses on “biobanking coral species,” Williams said, collecting living fragments.
In Florida, the heatwave of 2023 erased decades of restoration projects for elkhorn and staghorn corals, particularly at sites where four years of intensive work had quadrupled coral cover.
The study says importing heat-tolerant corals from outside the state may be the only way forward.
In the future, Mydlarz said, scientists might consider modifying the genes of corals to make them more heat-resistant, but that idea would require more research and scrutiny.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature last week approved further research into the possibility of using gene editing tools to conserve wild animal populations – a hotly debated topic due to its bioethical concerns.
“It’s on the table because everything is on the table,” Mydlarz said.
