MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – The reef along the Florida Keys is the third largest barrier reef in the world, and has protective qualities in the events of storms and hurricanes.
But heat stress has caused some corals to die, and now scientists and conservationists are watching the reef closely as this year’s hurricane season approaches.
Scientists, like Jim Hench with Duke University, have long known the reef absorbs wave energy, slowing down waves that would otherwise crash onshore, but it wasn’t until Hench’s team placed sensors on part of the reef off Key West in 2021 that they learned just how much a living reef matters during a hurricane.
“Without the barrier reef, it’s hard to imagine the Keys would be there,” Hench said.
Months after the sensors were placed on the reef, Hurricane Ian barreled through.
It was a real-life test.
“The hurricane was generating 26-foot waves at the peak of Ian,” Hench said. “And so the question was: how come we don’t see 26-foot waves here in Key West?”
Data showed the reef stopped more than 90 percent of the wave energy.
But then, another challenge to the reef raised red flags: heat.
Last year’s unprecedented sustained high water temperatures, past 90 degrees, resulted in major coral bleaching. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported more than 75 percent of some corals that were restored and outplanted had died.
“We lost a lot of coral colonies,” said Ben Edmunds, with NOAA’s Mission: Iconic Reefs. “It’s like losing a friend in a lot of ways.”
Edmunds said it was too soon to know what that could mean for hurricane season.
Frank Slifka, a conservationist and dive instructor at Captain Hook’s Dive Center, said heat is the enemy.
“The biggest single problem is water temperature. I don’t know how we’re going to combat that,” Slifka said.
However, much of the coral remained resilient.
“We lost a lot of the branch coral, there’s no question about that,” Slifka continued. “But most of our massives - the ones that play the role to break the waves of hurricanes down - have survived. The oceans are in trouble, but we have the opportunity to save them.”
To see how local organizations are working with NOAA to save the coral reef, tune in to Local 10′s hurricane special: “Staying Storm Safe: In Hot Water,” Sunday night at 7 p.m.