Corals in Florida are experiencing extreme levels of heat stress that have never been experienced before.
The dire news came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) monthly U.S. global climate report and coral bleaching update Thursday.
Sea surface temperatures are as high, or higher than ever before in satellite records. The stress on corals is causing a decline in the health of reefs caused by the hot water. Corals turn white when the water becomes too hot and the most extreme heat stress is showing across the lower to middle Florida Keys.
Sea Surface Temperatures for Florida Keys Virtual Station have been higher than previous record value for 27 of the past 36 days.
The latest bleaching event has occurred earlier than ever before as record global high ocean temperatures have been the warmest for four months in a row.
Bleaching began 5-6 weeks earlier this summer in July when it typically is never observed before August.
The worst previous coral mortality event occurred in 2014-2017 and the latest ocean heat wave may turn out worse than it for coral.
Scientists say it is too early to tell if it will continue in 2024, but indicators are showing it may be as bad or worse.
The NOAA report warns that the heat stress is likely to continue through Mid to late September or October but the outlook does not account for how much a hurricane could cool down the ocean.
Ocean mixing from storms helps to break the ocean heat wave but only a handful have developed this season.
Air temperatures in the month of July were the hottest on record for the planet, according to NOAA and NASA. The average global air temperature for July 2023 was 2.12F° warmer than the 20th-century average, making it the hottest July since record-keeping began in the 1880s.
Widespread heat impacted all continents with above-average temperatures and Florida sits at the tip of a coral bleaching event happing across the Caribbean. Seven countries in the Caribbean and Atlantic are experiencing coral bleaching.
El Niño is expected to continue and strengthen with greater than a 90 percent probability through winter. A strong El Niño is likely and this has typically brought unique weather to our local area.
This pattern is expected to bring warmer temperatures and wetter precipitation patterns to Florida and Georgia from September through November.
The bleaching event is having a devastating impact on the Florida Keys coral reefs. The reefs are already in decline, and this event is likely to accelerate their decline.
The reefs provide vital habitats for fish and other marine life, and they also help to protect coastal areas from storms. The loss of the reefs would have a significant impact on the environment and the economy of the Florida Keys.