“As these reefs lose structure, the ecosystem services they provide will be diminished, signifying the importance of increased protections and management efforts to offset these trends.”
Story at a glance
The decline is a result of bleaching events which are driven by climate change, ship groundings and disease. In 2014, researchers discovered an outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease, which is decimating reefs both in Florida and the Caribbean.
The state’s coral reefs also support around 70,000 jobs and generate $8.5 billion annually, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show.
Study: 70 percent of Florida’s coral reefs are eroding – The Hill
Story at a glance
- The Florida Reef Tract is the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States and one of the largest in the world.
- The decline is attributable to bleaching events, disease outbreaks and ship groundings.
- Despite the grim findings, researchers were also able to identify certain regions that are more likely to persist in the future.
The decline is a result of bleaching events which are driven by climate change, ship groundings and disease. In 2014, researchers discovered an outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease, which is decimating reefs both in Florida and the Caribbean.
The state’s coral reefs also support around 70,000 jobs and generate $8.5 billion annually, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show.
Study: 70 percent of Florida’s coral reefs are eroding – The Hill