Florida corals have gone functionally extinct

In 2023, on Florida’s 560-kilometer southeast coral reef, some corals, like the Acropora coral, have been almost wiped out because of many heat waves caused by global warming.

A coral is an animal, just like a dog or a cat. Coral is also not a producer, which means it doesn’t make its own food; it relies on an algae named zooxanthellae. These algae (plants) make up around 90% of the corals’ food. But if the waters around the coral get too hot, too cold, or too polluted, it might cause the zooxanthellae algae to get stressed out and leave the coral. The algae produce around 90% of the coral’s food, so when they leave, the coral becomes extremely hungry. This is what has been happening on Florida’s southeast coral reef.

Benji Jones says that “two species once fundamental to the structure of Florida’s reef — are now “functionally extinct” in the state. That means these animals are so rare that they no longer serve a function in Florida’s marine ecosystem.”