Scientists race to save Florida’s last remaining elkhorn coral before bleaching season

Scientists are urgently rescuing Florida’s last remaining elkhorn coral as rising ocean temperatures threaten another bleaching event. Teams from the University of Miami’s Lirman Coral Restoration Lab collected 30 elkhorn coral pieces for protection in a hatchery, while NOAA raised alerts for parts of the Florida Reef Tract. Efforts by Mote Marine Laboratory and the Coral Restoration Foundation aim to preserve genetic diversity critical for rebuilding reefs.