Heat-driven functional extinction of Caribbean Acropora corals from Florida's Coral Reef
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Abstract
In 2023, a record-setting marine heat wave triggered the ninth mass coral bleaching event on Florida’s Coral Reef (FCR). We examined spatial patterns of heat exposure along the ~560-kilometer length of FCR and the mortality of two ecologically important, critically endangered reef-building corals. Sea surface temperatures were ≥31°C for an average of 40.7 days, leading to heat exposures 2.2- to fourfold higher than all prior years on record. In the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas, 97.8 to 100% of the Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis colonies died. Mortality was lower offshore southeast Florida (37.9%), reflecting cooler temperatures in this region. Since the late 1970s, multiple stressors had already reduced the ecological relevance of Acropora in Florida, but the 2023 heat wave marks their functional extinction from FCR.
Suggested Citation
Manzello, D.P., Cunning, R., Karp, R.F., Baker, A.C., Bartels, E., Bonhag, R., Borreil, A., Bourque, A., Brown, K.T., Bruckner, A.W., Corbett, B., D’Alessandro, M., Dahlgren, C., Dilworth, J., Gieger, E., Gilliam, D.S., Gomez, M., Hanson, G., Harrell, C., Hesley, D., Huebner, L.K., Kenkel, C.D., Koch, H.R., Kuehl, J., Kuffner, I.B., Ladd, M.C., Lee, S., Lesneski, K.C., Lewan, A., Lirman, D., Liu, G., Matsuda, S.B., Montoya-Maya, P.H., Moore, J., Muller, E.M., Nedimeyer, K., Parkinson, J.E., Ruzicka, R., Spadaro, J., Spady, B.L., Stein, J., Unsworth, J.D., Wen, A.D., Williams, D.E., Williams, S., Williamson, O.M., 2025, Heat-driven functional extinction of Caribbean Acropora corals from Florida's Coral Reef: Science, v. 390, no. 6771, p. 361-366, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adx7825.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Heat-driven functional extinction of Caribbean Acropora corals from Florida's Coral Reef |
| Series title | Science |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.adx7825 |
| Volume | 390 |
| Issue | 6771 |
| Publication Date | October 23, 2025 |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | AAAS |
| Contributing office(s) | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center |
| Description | 6 p. |
| First page | 361 |
| Last page | 366 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
| Other Geospatial | Florida Keys |