WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Florida's only coral reef system is rapidly disappearing, and scientists warn a major setback in state funding could stall efforts to save it just as restoration work was beginning to scale up.
The Florida Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative, known as FCR3, was launched in 2023 with a long-term goal of restoring 25% of Florida's 350-mile reef tract by 2050.
WATCH BELOW: Florida cuts coral restoration funding as reefs 'disappear'
The program distributed roughly $9.5 million annually to coral restoration groups across the state and was expected to eventually grow into a 25-year, $25 million-per-year commitment.
But the initiative was removed from Florida's 2026-2027 state budget, leaving environmental organizations scrambling to replace funding they say was critical to keeping restoration efforts alive.
"At the end of the day, we caused the problem. It's our job to fix the problem," said Leneita Fix, executive director and CEO of The Reef Institute in West Palm Beach.
Florida's reef stretches from the Dry Tortugas west of Key West to the St. Lucie Inlet. Scientists estimate less than 10% of the original reef remains, with some experts putting the figure as low as 2%.
Fix said rising ocean temperatures, coral disease and pollution have pushed the reef system to the brink.
"This ecosystem is dying. It's disappearing," said Dr. Rachel Silverstein, CEO of Miami Waterkeeper. "We are really looking at having Florida's coral reef disappear completely without some really significant intervention."
The Reef Institute was among the organizations funded through FCR3, receiving roughly $3.5 million over multiple grant rounds. The money helped the nonprofit build expanded coral-growing infrastructure and scale up restoration operations.
The institute uses what Fix describes as a "rescue to reef" model.
Corals impacted by bleaching, disease or environmental stress are brought into a living biobank, where they are preserved, reproduced and eventually replanted onto damaged reefs.
"We said we'd be done by November of 2025, and we fully did that," Fix said of the institute's infrastructure expansion.
Now, she says the organization must raise between $850,000-$900,000 annually just to maintain current operations.
"I expected there to be a reduction of money, but I don't think any of us expected it to go away," Fix said. "For me, honestly, it was a little bit of panic."
Silverstein said many restoration groups had already begun hiring staff, building facilities and expanding coral production based on expectations of long-term state support.
"All of a sudden, the rug's been pulled out from under them," Silverstein said. "There's going to be stops and starts, and people are going to have to rebuild again because this funding has been lost."
Scientists say the consequences of losing Florida's reefs extend far beyond marine life. Coral reefs support fisheries, tourism and an estimated 71,000 jobs tied to South Florida's economy. They also serve as natural storm barriers, reducing wave energy by an average of 95% before it reaches shore.
"When we ask where do we begin on this beach erosion issue, it's with our reefs," Fix said.
Researchers also warn that the loss of coral threatens entire marine ecosystems. An estimated 25% of ocean species spend part of their life cycle on coral reefs.
Last year, scientists declared Florida's staghorn and elkhorn corals — two major reef-building species — functionally extinct in the wild along much of the state's reef tract.
Despite the funding loss, both Fix and Silverstein said there is still time to reverse the damage if restoration efforts continue.
"We know how to do coral restoration," Silverstein said. "All we need right now is the large-scale, long-term investment to allow this science and this restoration expertise to scale."
But Fix said losing momentum now could erase years of progress.
"If it comes back around years later, now we have to start over, and we have probably taken 12 steps backwards," she said.
The Reef Institute is now looking for alternative funding sources to continue operating while state agencies and restoration groups prepare to meet later this summer to discuss next steps.
Gov. Ron DeSantis' office and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection were contacted for comment and said they were working on a response.
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