Officials issue warning about looming threat off US coastline: 'Worried about the possibility of this happening here'

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is on the lookout for an invasive coral species that could harm Florida's marine ecosystems, WMNF reported.

What's happening?

According to the radio station, xenia pulse corals have already been spotted around Hawaiʻi and Puerto Rico. These corals look like flowers and have pulsing tentacles. While they're native to other tropical waters, like the Red Sea, they can cause harm outside of their usual homes.

"They really carpet the ocean floor and they smother out and outcompete all the native coral and native seagrasses that are the natural habitat," Dana Wusinich-Mendez, a member of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program in Florida, told WMNF.

Wusinich-Mendez continued, "So we here in Florida are seeing what's happening in Puerto Rico and are worried about the possibility of this happening here."

Why is the spread of xenia pulse corals concerning?

If xenia pulse corals continue to spread in Florida, the consequences could be drastic for us and our environment.

Ocean cleanup can cost a lot of money. According to The Ocean Cleanup, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch would take $7.5 billion to remove. While these large floes of trash sit in our oceans, they release microplastics into the water.

The United Nations University stated that corals make up a natural protective system that filters out these plastic particles and other pollutants. If native coral reefs are destroyed, we'll have to spend more money on cleaning our water, and marine life will suffer.

Native seagrasses are also at risk.

Project Seagrass noted that seagrasses take up 0.1% of the seafloor but up to 18% of the carbon stored by our oceans. By sequestering carbon, seagrasses ensure there is less of the polluting gas in our atmosphere. 

Seagrasses reduce the amount of money we have to spend on air filtration as well. And cleaner air means people will likely have fewer health issues.

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Keeping an eye on xenia pulse corals is crucial so that native corals and seagrasses can keep spreading their benefits around the U.S.

What's being done about the spread of xenia pulse corals?

Wusinich-Mendez told WMNF that people have dumped these corals in the ocean when they're no longer wanted, which isn't safe. She recommended either returning the coral to where it was bought or contacting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

If you see xenia pulse or any other soft coral near Florida, report it to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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