Scientists have confirmed that two of Florida’s most iconic reef-building corals — elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) and staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) — are now functionally extinct off the state’s coast. 🪸💔 While a few scattered colonies still survive, their numbers are now too low and isolated to reproduce effectively or sustain the reef ecosystem they once built. Once the backbone of Florida’s shallow reefs, these corals provided vital shelter for marine life and natural protection f