"100% coral mortality" found in coral reef restoration site off Florida as ocean temperatures soar

Coral reefs play a vital role in the overall health of the planet. And off the coast of Florida, they're in jeopardy, as the relentless heat continues.

The Coral Restoration Foundation said in one coral reef restoration site off the state's coast, the extreme temperatures have proved deadly.

"On July 20th, CRF teams visited Sombrero Reef, a restoration site we've been working at for over a decade. What we found was unimaginable — 100% coral mortality," said Phanor Montoya-Mayoa, a restoration program manager at the foundation who has a doctorate in biology. "We have also lost almost all the corals in the Looe Key Nursery in the Lower Keys."