These iconic antler-like corals used to carpet Florida’s reef. They’ve just been declared ‘functionally extinct’

Dead elkhorn coral near Elbow Reef off the coast of Key Largo, Florida, on November 28, 2023. The Washington Post/Getty Images

Elkhorn and staghorn corals used to carpet Florida’s reef system, rising like antlers from the seabed — but not anymore. These crucial coral species are now “functionally extinct” in the region after record-breaking ocean temperatures, according to a study published Thursday.

The corals, which have been dominant reef builders in Florida for the past 10,000 years, were already critically endangered due to a host of factors including disease, pollution, hurricanes and ocean warming. But an unprecedented marine heat wave may have delivered a fatal blow.

In the summer of 2023, Florida’s water temperatures peaked at more than 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the highes