Scientists Conclude Climate Change May Wipe Out the Coral Reef System Forever.
Coral move locations when the climate warms. The last time this happened was thousands of years ago when the waters warmed; the coral reef moved North onto Florida's East Coast. This time it's different.
The Florida Reef System (FRS)
The FRS is the largest reef system in the US spanning 358 miles from Key West, along the Atlantic Coast, to Martin County. A true giant in the underwater ecosystem.
Climate Change and the FRS
The waters are getting too hot for coral, so why don't they just migrate to cooler waters? Scientists have discovered that coral living in Florida waters are trapped between too hot tropic waters and frequent cold fronts from the polar vortex, leaving coral with nowhere to go. So what will happen when the coral has to stay put in dangerous conditions?
Coral Bleaching
Science Predicts a Great Decline
If coral does attempt to move north, building a new reef will be extremely difficult due to the frequent cold fronts. Coral can die. Scientists report that coral will decline faster than ever imagined if we don't pull together and keep the water warming at bay. Coral is extremely intolerant of temperature shifts and can die after just a one-degree Celsius shift or heavy rainfall.
