A coral extinction in real time

Bleached corals on Florida’s Looe Key in this file pic from July 28, 2023. Elkhorn and staghorn coral are now functionally extinct around the southern US state, researchers say, meaning they no longer play any significant role in their ecosystem. — Jason Gulley/The New York Times

AFTER a searing ocean heat wave in 2023, two of the most historically important coral species in Florida are functionally extinct from the state’s reef, scientists have found.

Elkhorn and staghorn coral, known for their branching limestone arms that create incomparable reef habitats, have all but vanished everywhere except the northern­most sections of the reef, according to research published in the journal Science last month.