A devastating new study has revealed that two vital coral species in Florida’s coral reef — elkhorn and staghorn corals — are now considered functionally extinct following a record-breaking marine heat wave in 2023. Jyotsna Kumar tells you more | WION

Scientists have confirmed that two of Florida’s most iconic reef-building corals — elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) — are now functionally extinct off the state’s coast. 🪸💔 While a few scattered colonies still survive, their numbers are now too low and isolated to reproduce effectively or sustain the reef ecosystem they once built. Once the backbone of Florida’s shallow reefs, these corals provided vital shelter for marine life and natural protection f