High ocean temperatures are harming the Florida coral reef. Rescue crews are racing to help

BY DANIEL KOZIN, WILFREDO LEE and FREIDA FRISARO
Associated Press

LAYTON, Fla. (AP) — In a race against time, multiple organizations are working to save the reef that runs along the Florida Keys during a heat wave that has already led to historic coral bleaching. After receiving reports of the distressed reef in July, various rescue groups have engaged in round-the-clock removal of coral from shallow nurseries in the Atlantic Ocean. Water surface temperatures averaged about 91 degrees last month, well above the typical July average of 85 degrees. Scuba divers are collecting pieces of coral and taking them to land-based labs for short-term storage, or deeper-water nurseries to ride out the heat wave. Some areas of the reef in the lower Florida Keys have already experienced 100% bleaching.