DANIA BEACH — Researchers from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) have discovered a rare and concerning coral bleaching event taking place just off Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach.

Unlike previous bleaching events, this episode involves octocorals—also known as gorgonians—which include species typically known for their greater resilience against bleaching.

“This is unusual and troubling,” said Jose Lopez, a professor with NSU’s Halmos College of the Arts and Sciences.

“Octocorals are generally more resistant to thermal stresses, so seeing them bleach tells us conditions are changing. Seawater temperatures appear high again this year in our area.”

Octocorals can resemble sea fans or branching plants and do not have solid outer skeletons like hard, reef-building coral. They are very abundant off Florida’s coral reefs and provide three-dimensional habitat to marine life, playing a critical role in nutrient cycling and supporting biodiversity.

Lopez and researcher Ronen Liberman are part of NSU’s National Coral Reef Initiative (NCRI), whose scientists have been diving local shallow reefs to document the extent of the bleaching.

Their surveys have revealed discoloration in octocoral colonies—a sign that the corals are expelling the symbiotic algae they rely on for nutrition and survival.

NCRI scientists and students at the Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center’s Molecular Microbiology and Genomics (MMG) Laboratory are intently characterizing the symbiotic algae and genomes of several octocorals.

Researchers say the event could be tied to rising ocean heat over the summer months.

Typically, tropical storms and hurricanes help mix and cool ocean waters. However, this year’s relatively quiet season has left local waters unusually warm.

NSU researchers are continuing to monitor the reefs closely to determine how the octocorals recover—or if this event signals a deeper, long-term impact on South Florida’s reef ecosystems.