US-CORAL-ANIMALS-OCEANS

Fish swim near dead coral in the Straits of Florida near Key Largo, Florida, on September 23, 2021. - At a laboratory in central Florida, biologist Aaron Gavin and his team have diligently recreated the coral reef habitat found in the waters off the southern tip of the state, complete with artificial currents and local fish.They are tending to huge aquariums full of the corals, hoping to prevent them from suffering from the same mysterious disease afflicting their wild cousins.Gavin uses tiny pipettes to feed shrimp to the more than 700 corals -- of 18 species -- living in the saltwater tanks, above which are special lamps that mimic natural sunlight. The scientists' work could be the last chance to save the species that make up the only coral reef in the United States' territorial waters. That's because, among the tourist draws of sprawling mangroves and darting schools of fish off the Florida Keys, the damaged corals -- normally dark when healthy -- are now spread out in large white patches across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)