In Florida, the soaring seawater temperatures pose a severe threat to the world’s third-largest barrier reef, prompting scientists to extract coral samples from the ocean and place them in cooler land-based tanks. Surface water temperatures have reached dangerous highs, with the risk of fish and sea turtle die-offs. Non-profit groups are collaborating to collect genetic strains of coral from nurseries and safeguard them in controlled environments. The bleaching of the reefs has accelerated, raising concerns among business owners about the potential impact on tourism. Florida’s coral reefs generate significant revenue and jobs, emphasizing the need to protect them for both marine life and human populations.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/florida-is-so-hot-scientists-are-taking-coral-out-of-the-ocean