Coral Reefs in Florida Keys Face Heightened Threat
July 24, 2023
Federal scientists are warning that some coral reefs in the Florida Keys are losing their color earlier than normal this summer due to record-high water temperatures, an indication that the reefs “are under stress and their health is potentially endangered,” the AP reports. In an earlier look in Issues, Tundi Agardy examines how coral reefs in numerous US locations are under threat, not only by warming waters but also by overfishing and pollutant runoff from coastal lands, among other forces. Protecting these fragile ecosystems, she concludes, will require cooperation among the scientific community, private businesses and citizens, and policymakers.