What scientists saw underwater in Florida left them “shocked” — and devastated

Fish in the Florida Keys swim above the coral reef, near Key Largo. | Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images The idea of extinction — the permanent loss of life — is frightening. Yet the stakes of losing plants and animals are often unclear. If an already-rare bird vanishes from the forest, most people probably won’t feel the impact. But a troubling situation unfolding in Florida is different. Following a record-shattering heat wave in 2023, two marine species are now nearly extinct in the state — and the impact of that loss on human life will likely be felt for gene