New report declares Florida’s 350-mile coral reef system ‘functionally extinct’

MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Scientists say Florida’s coral reefs suffered “catastrophic losses” due to extreme ocean heat, according to a study published Thursday.

The study found that crucial coral species, including elkhorn and staghorn corals, are now classified as “functionally extinct.”

According to the team of 46 researchers, record-breaking ocean temperatures in the summer of 2023 caused bleaching across Florida’s 350-mile reef system.

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During that summer, water temperatures reached over 90 degrees for nearly three months straight– marking the hottest ocean temps in at least 150 years.

The heat dealt a level of destruction unmatched in the reef’s history.

Just last March 98% to 100% of coral colonies in the southern reef had died, according to the study.

Scientists noted that a few remnants of the reef remain; however, they are no longer at high enough densities to sustain the reef.

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