Florida researchers bring endangered elkhorn coral ashore to protect them
Researchers moved 30 elkhorn coral pieces to a land hatchery as warming waters and heat stress raise bleaching risks this summer.
- On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School transported 30 pieces of endangered Elkhorn coral from offshore nurseries to a land-based hatchery in Key Biscayne, Fla., to protect them from heat-induced bleaching.
- Researchers initiated the emergency relocation because indicators suggest 2026 will be "a really bad year" for bleaching, according to University of Miami associate professor Diego Lirman.
- Elkhorn coral populations from Broward County to the Florida Keys were decimated by recent heat waves, leaving them "functionally extinct" because remaining colonies are too small and far apart to reproduce in the wild.
- Divers collected genetically diverse specimens for sanitized hatchery tanks, with Lirman noting the university exchanges coral "so if one goes down you don't lose the last remaining genetic information."
- Scientists continue these preservation efforts as climate change threatens the species, which forms reefs vital for coastline protection, tourism, and seafood production globally.
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