“This is where the UAE's partnership is instrumental in helping Florida to catch up.” “Local efforts have struggled to keep pace with the rate of decline,” Mr Gallaudet said. Healthy coral reefs provide a habitat for commercially and recreationally important fish species, and marine animals including spiny lobsters and sea turtles. The unique habitats generate billions of dollars in recreation and tourism for Florida. The loss of coral reefs can have cascading effects on the economy and culture of the Florida Keys region, which are deeply rooted in the local marine ecosystem. In February 2020, the UAE announced a donation of $3.5 million to support the coral restoration efforts, administered by United Way of Collier and the Keys. Mr Gallaudet, who was previously deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and is now chief executive of Ocean STL Consulting, said the partnership between the US and the UAE is crucial to marine conservation. In collaboration with local groups in southern Florida, the UAE has been working for more than three years to protect the Florida Reef Tract, through the Mission: Iconic Reefs initiative. “We are in uncharted territory and we can expect more records to fall,” Christopher Hewitt, the World Meteorological Organisation's director of climate services, told AP. Global sea surface temperatures have been at record highs since April, with the North Atlantic extremely warm since mid-March, meteorologists report. July 3 was the hottest day globally since records began, and climate scientists are warning that the world is falling far short of meeting targets to cut emissions and limit temperature rises. “Even if coral bleaching doesn't occur, the conditions are already conducive to additional stress before the expected coral spawning in August.” “If the high temperatures persist for a few weeks, coral reefs could undergo bleaching or weaken as they expel the algae that inhabit their tissues,” Mr Gallaudet told The National. Tim Gallaudet, a retired US Navy rear admiral and a leading oceanographer, said water temperatures are far above normal and could harm the corals' ability to reproduce.
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