Is the Florida Keys reef dying?
Is the Florida Keys reef dying? This mass bleaching event has made an already bad situation worse. Well before summer, the area of healthy reefs in the Florida Keys had already declined by 90 percent, due to past heat waves, diseases, ocean acidification, and other threats. The majority of Florida's reefs that remain, meanwhile, are eroding.
How healthy is the reef in the Florida Keys?
Since the late 1970s, healthy coral cover in the Florida Keys has fallen 90 percent due to disease, heat stress, and damage from boats and storms. Mission: Iconic Reefs aims to restore 7 key reefs to self-sustaining levels by 2040.