Publication Name

Sun Sentinel

An ashy pallor has spread across South Florida’s coral reefs over the past few months, as stressed corals expelled the algae that gives them color. According to an article published in the December 15, 2011 issue of the Sun Sentinel, the worst case of coral bleaching since surveys began in 2005 struck reefs from the Florida Keys through Martin County, harming the base of the region’s most biologically productive and economically important marine ecosystem.

A survey coordinated by The Nature Conservancy, involving 13 dive teams from government agencies, universities and nonprofit groups, found that 21 to 50 percent of colonies checked in the Keys, Broward County, Biscayne Bay and Martin County had bleached or turned pale. Palm Beach County saw less bleaching, with three to six percent of colonies affected. Bleaching has emerged as a worldwide threat, largely due to climate change, said Andrew Baker, associate professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. “The evidence is incontrovertible that the world is getting warmer,” he said. “There is no doubt that we’re seeing warmer than usual conditions at a much more regular rate than 30 years ago and that's causing coral bleaching.”

To read the article, Coral Bleaching Threatens South Florida Reefs visit the Sun Sentinel website.