Florida's coral is disappearing: How experts are restoring ailing reefs as the ocean warms

Florida’s coral is disappearing as warming oceans accelerate reef die-offs, putting coastal protection at risk. Scientists and local experts warn that South Florida has seen heat advisories and rising ocean temperatures, coinciding with a collapse in reef coverage: coral reefs once covered roughly 50% of the seafloor, and today that figure is under 5%. Joana Figueiredo of Nova Southeastern University’s National Coral Reef Institute said corals cannot tolerate sustained temperature increases, leading to stress and death when they fall outside a narrow thermal range. Reefs act as the first defense against coastal flooding by absorbing up to 97% of incoming wave energy, reducing storm surge, erosion, and potential damage to homes and infrastructure. The U.S. spends more than $10 billion nationwide over the past century on beach nourishment, and erosion costs are estimated around $500 million annually. Restoration efforts include NSU researchers growing corals for planting on Broward County reefs and the University of Miami’s “hybrid reefs,” funded by DARPA, combining manmade structures offshore with corals cross-bred from Florida and Honduras.