The entire Florida Reef tract, which spreads across 270km, is the only living reef in America and, in 2011, all of it suffered from coral bleaching.

Coral bleaching happens when coral reefs are stressed or traumatised. They release the colourful algae that live within the coral shell, making them look washed out or bleached. This can happen for lots of reasons and leads to the reefs becoming sick or even dying. This in turn will affect the fish populations on the reef and has a domino effect on the ecosystem.

Experts think the bleaching in Florida may be linked to one of the hottest years on record for the area, which will have raised the sea temperature slightly.