Marine mayhem: Coral reefs in Florida are bleaching as ocean temperatures rise

Researchers are studying how corals are responding to record-high ocean temperatures. — Photos: TERRENCE ANTONIO JAMES/Chicago Tribune/TNS

PEERING over the edge of research vessel Coral Reef II as it sailed through the Florida Keys, Shedd Aquarium postdoctoral fellow Shayle Matsuda saw white.

Matsuda and a group of researchers from the aquarium and other institutions witnessed firsthand how coral reefs that were healthy and vibrant just two months earlier had quickly bleached by the time they returned to the Sunshine State for their most recent trip.