Florida BleachWatch Program Enlists Citizen Divers to Monitor Coral Bleaching Ahead of 2026 Summer Heat Season

Ahead of what scientists warn could be another extreme thermal stress season for Florida's coral reefs, WUWF (NPR public radio) reported on May 22, 2026 that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's BleachWatch volunteer monitoring program is actively recruiting snorkelers and divers to help researchers track coral bleaching across the Florida Reef Tract — the only living barrier reef system in the continental United States. The Florida Reef Tract spans approximately 360 miles from the Dry Tortugas to Martin County and has lost more than 90% of its coral cover since the 1970s due to warming oceans, disease outbreaks, hurricanes, and pollution. Volunteer monitors are trained to distinguish normal coral coloration from early bleaching and partial bleaching, submitting geo-tagged reports that scientists integrate into the broader NOAA Coral Reef Watch data stream. The Florida Keys bleaching season typically runs from July through October, with peak thermal stress occurring in August and September. Conservation scientists note that early detection via dense citizen-science monitoring networks can accelerate rescue-and-transplant interventions, helping to preserve heat-sensitive coral genotypes before mass mortality events.