Introducing the Aston Martin V12 Roadster, a true marvel of automotive engineering and luxury. This new model boasts a breathtaking design, marrying elegance with raw power. Equipped with a V12 engine, the Roadster delivers an exhilarating driving experience, propelling you from 0 to 60 mph in just seconds. Every detail of the V12 Roadster exudes sophistication, from its meticulously crafted interior to its sleek aerodynamic lines. The hand-stitched leather seats, premium infotainment system, and cutting-edge technology elevate your journey to the epitome of comfort and convenience. With the top down, the wind in your hair, and the unmistakable roar of the V12 engine, the Aston Martin V12 Roadster offers an unrivaled driving sensation. Embrace the thrill of the open road and experience automotive excellence like never before. Are you ready to unleash the power and style of the Aston Martin V12 Roadster? To learn more visit www.astonmartin.com By ML staff. Images courtesy of Aston Martin.

FUNDarte, in collaboration with Teatro El Público (Havana, Cuba) and in association with the Festival Iberoamericano del Siglo de Oro from the Comunidad de Madrid, presents the US premiere of Celestina. Photo Credit: marcosGpunto This latest version of La Celestina has been reimagined by Norge Espinosa based on the original by Fernando de Rojas. Espinosa is returning to the essence of the classic to find a contemporary portrait of our urgencies and desires. Rojas' text reflects a Spain where morality stalks the pure love of young people. A struggle between desire and the flesh, morality and money, reality and sorcery, the fable of the old matchmaker reminds us that these forces are still in conflict and that we continue to be part of that battle, even in the age of virtual reality. And Celestina, skilled in her tricks as a witch and a businessman, still walks among us. Note: The show is in Spanish, with simultaneous translation available. Tickets: Standard admission - $30 Senior/student - $25 Accessible/Groups 10 or more - $20 For more information, visit www.FUNDarte.us or call (305) 547-5414. September 8 & 9, 2023 at 8:00 PM September 10, 2023 at 3:00 PM On Stage Black Box Miami-Dade County Auditorium 2901 W Flagler Street Miami, FL 33135 By ML Staff. Images courtesy of FUNDarte

Broadway in Miami 2023-24 season is here! Season tickets include two South Florida premieres, one Miami premiere, and the highly anticipated return of two blockbuster musicals. Five-show subscription packages start at $205. Broadway in Miami's 2023-24 season includes: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL December 5-10, 2023 “BIG ROMANCE & BIG FUN!” - Broadway.com PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories, springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award®-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde). PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL features an original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69”, “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director, Garry Marshall, and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will lift your spirits and light up your heart. “If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!” (BuzzFeed News). Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s international smash hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired one of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time. Pretty Woman the film was an international smash hit when it was released in 1990. Now, 30 years later, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL is “Big romance and big fun!” (Broadway.com). “Irresistible! A romantic fantasy. A contemporary fairy tale,” says The Hollywood Reporter. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL delivers on all the iconic moments you remember. Get ready to experience this dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages. Are you ready to fall in love all over again? Atlantic Records’ PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is produced by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and is now available on all DSPs. Photos by Morris Mac Matzen The Cher Show January 2-7, 2024 “FRESH AND FABULOUS AND SO MUCH FUN! IT’S A PARTY!” - Today THE TONY AWARD®-WINNING MUSICAL! HER LIFE. HER STORY. HER LEGEND. Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture — breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries, and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. THE CHER SHOW is the Tony Award-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star, and the icon. This hit Broadway musical features a book by Tony Award winner Rick Elice, direction by Tony Award nominee Jason Moore, and choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli. Rolling Stone raves “THE CHER SHOW is an explosion of fabulous excess,” and The New York Times calls it a “blindingly sparkly celebration of Cher’s life.” THE CHER SHOW is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy®, an Oscar®, an Emmy®, and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have you dancing in the aisles! Hamilton March 13-24, 2024 A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation. HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. HAMILTON features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. Photo by Joan Marcus Peter Pan May 7-12, 2024 This high-flying musical has been delighting audiences of all ages for close to 70 years and is now being brought back to life in a new production directed by Emmy Award winner Lonny Price with an additional book by celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse. The adventure begins when PETER PAN and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinker Bell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night. With a sprinkle of pixie dust and a few happy thoughts, the children are taken on a magical journey they will never forget. This extraordinary musical full of excitement and adventure features iconic and timeless songs including "I'm Flying," "I Gotta Crow," "I Won't Grow Up" and "Neverland." PETER PAN embraces the child in us all so go on a journey from the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning, your entire family will be Hooked! Les Misérables June 18-23, 2024 “THRILLING, SPECTACULAR AND UNFORGETTABLE.” - The New York Times STILL THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR MUSICAL Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon Les Misérables. This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “Les Mis for the 21st century” (Huffington Post), “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph) and “one of the greatest musicals ever created” (Chicago Tribune). Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. The magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 22 languages, Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals. Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Broadway.com

Gulfstream Park Village is excited to announce its Spirit Halloween pop up store is now open, at 600 Silks Run. A destination for Halloween costumes, accessories and decorations, shoppers can start planning their perfect Halloween persona now with an unbeatable selection of classic and contemporary costumes. Spirit Halloween will give shoppers plenty of spooky shopping fun in advance of Gulfstream Park Village’s Headless Horseman Halloween extravaganza, returning again for another year of thrills and chills on Saturday, October 28. Located on the border of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, Gulfstream Park Village will be transformed into a delightfully eerie Halloween destination that will scare and delight guests of all ages. Taking place from 6:30-9:30 p.m., the event is open to the public and FREE to attend. From 6:30-8 p.m., Gulfstream Park Village will feature spooktacular themed candy stations throughout the Village, a safe alternative to neighborhood trick-or-treating. With approximately 2,000 pounds of candy, each station also features music, lights, and live strolling performers. Then at 8 p.m. the Evil Costume Contest will take place in the Gulfstream Park Walking Ring with up to $1,000 in cash up for grabs. Guests can also enjoy a selection of food trucks and bars with refreshments for purchase as well as music, a laser light show, performers and Miami’s own Chris Cruz as the Emcee/DJ. By ML Staff. Images cortesy of Gulfstream Park Village. Top image by Unsplash/Daniel Lincoln

Miami-based Orion Real Estate Group / Orion Buying Corp. purchased and closed on a historic Walgreens building located at 527 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040 for $5.264 million on Aug. 23, 2023. The building is the former Strand Theater, which opened in the early 1920s and then became home of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium in 1993. Kevin Sanz of Orion Real Estate Group led the buyer group, Orion Buying Corp. (Limestone Ruby Raleigh LLC, Limestone Ruby Loganville LLC and Limestone Ruby Lithia Springs LLC, each a Florida limited liability company). Brian Pfohl of CBRE represented the seller, Walgreens Co. Ocean Bank is providing financing for the off-market transaction. The 10,174-square-foot property located on Duval Street is leased by Walgreens and also includes two residential apartments on the back side. Both apartments are one-bedroom, one-bathroom. The apartments will be renovated, but there won’t be any major redevelopment as it is a historic building. “We are thrilled to close on this Walgreens building located on the well-known Duval Street in Key West,” said Joseph Sanz, executive chairman of Orion Real Estate Group. “It’s a remarkable location and we are proud to continue expanding our portfolio with this historic building. This is a very meaningful acquisition for us, as my family, the Sanz family, has a long history in Key West and previously owned a restaurant on Duval Street.” The closing of the Walgreens Strand property represents a full circle moment for a Florida family returning to their conch roots, with Joseph Sanz, executive chairman of Orion Real Estate Group, purchasing the Walgreens on Duval Street. Joseph Sanz’s great-grandparents, Jaime and Margarita Sanz, emigrated from Spain to Key West via Havana on the S.S. Olivette in October 1902. Jaime and Margarita joined several of Jaime’s cousins in Key West, and they converted an empty building into a restaurant named Victoria’s on Duval Street. The restaurant closed due to economic depression and eventually became the first Sloppy Joe’s restaurant and now is Captain Tony’s. Margarita and Jaime lived at 121 Duval Street and had four children: Jaime Jose (born 1908), Margarita (born 1911), Leandro (born 1911) and Miguel (born 1913). The family lived in Key West until around 1920 when they moved to Miami. Joseph’s grandfather was Jaime Jose, who was a grocery store owner and then a printer in Coral Gables. Orion Real Estate Group provides commercial real estate services to investment clients around the world. Since its founding in 1978, the firm has been involved in more than $7 billion in transactions and holds a portfolio exceeding $1 billion. Its headquarters are located at 200 S. Biscayne Blvd, 7th floor, Miami, FL 33131. For more information, visit https://orionmiami.com/ By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Orion Real Estate Group

Organicell Regenerative Medicine, Inc.(OTCQB:OCEL), a South Florida-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative biological regenerative therapeutics, is pleased to announce that it has tapped Harry L. Leider, MD, MBA as its new CEO. Dr. Leider brings more than 25 years of experience as a healthcare executive and entrepreneur, with extensive experience serving in C-suite roles in both publicly-held and early-stage companies, to the position. He has advanced breakthroughs in patient care across multiple sectors of the health care industry. Prior to joining Organicell, Dr. Leider served as the chief medical officer and executive vice president of Gelesis, a biotech company specializing in therapies for obesity. Under his leadership, the company successfully completed the process to gain FDA approval for its lead product, Plenity®; and then successfully commercialized Plenity via a unique direct-to-consumer model supported by a national telemedicine program. Furthermore, he played a key role as part of a small leadership team that led the company through its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Before that time, Dr. Leider served as chief medical officer and group vice president for Walgreens Boots Alliance, a Fortune 50 company where he provided leadership for all clinical programs, quality assessment activities, health outcomes research, and health analytics projects. Prior to Walgreens, he served as chief medical officer and executive vice president at Ameritox, a specialty laboratory company that enabled physicians to more safely treat patients suffering with chronic pain. He has also participated on the Board of Directors of Alivio Therapeutics, TytoCare, and Mobile Help. During his career, Dr. Leider has served on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business and Harvard Medical School, and has published more than 25 articles and chapters related to patient care and organizational leadership in peer-reviewed journals and books. He also was a core faculty member of the American Association of Physician Leadership for more than 20 years and has published five patents in the field of laboratory medicine. “Harry brings an extensive track record of successfully launching innovative therapeutics and services that have positively impacted the practice of medicine. I am honored and excited to welcome him to our seasoned leadership team,” said Ian Bothwell, chief financial officer of Organicell. “Harry’s research and commercial expertise, along with his broad strategic business perspective, will enable Organicell to rapidly advance its successful research and commercial programs while transforming the regenerative medicine space.” Dr. Leider stated, “I am honored to lead Organicell and work alongside a highly talented team of executives, researchers, and business associates. Together, we have a truly unique opportunity to develop and commercialize an entirely new class of therapies for important clinical conditions, while building a word-class biotherapeutic company.” To learn more, please visit https://organicell.com/. By ML Staff. Image courtesy of Organicell Regenerative Medicine

On Sunday, November 12, 2023, 2 pm-10 pm, get ready to savor the authentic island flavors, feel the rhythm, and embrace the vibrant spirit of the Caribbean at the 21st Annual Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival (GJJF), an epic and cultural event like no other. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Miramar Regional Park at 16801 Miramar Pkwy, Miramar, Fl 33027, this festival promises an unforgettable experience for an anticipated 10,000 attendees. GJJF is a chance to experience the rich tapestry of Caribbean food, music, and culture. From succulent jerk chicken to tender jerk lobster, this festival is a gastronomic delight for food enthusiasts to experience a sensory journey through the heart of the Caribbean. The festival features an expansive food court with vendors offering an assortment of jerk cuisine such as jerk pork, jerked fish, and jerk veggies, along with Jamaican favorites fried festival, oxtails, curry goat, escovitch fish, roasted corn, as well as other tasty delights. Though the food is the star of the show, attendees can enjoy a live performance by the two-time Grammy-winning Royal Family of reggae Morgan Heritage, who will provide the soundtrack and vibes for a day filled with dancing, fun, and food. More live entertainment, exciting games, and family-friendly activities will be announced closer to the festival. “South Florida is home to the largest Caribbean population in the United States. The Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival reminds us of the significant, delicious, and positive impact the Caribbean has on the American culture,” states GJJF Managing Partner and CEO Eddy Edwards. “Over the past 21 years, the festival has evolved to incorporate other wonderful Caribbean cultures and attract people from all over the world. This event is a family-friendly, interactive, intergenerational celebration where each family member can eat well and have fun.” The Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival, presented in partnership with Publix, City of Miramar, Western Union, Jamaica Tourist Board, Greater Ft. Lauderdale Visitors and Conventions Bureau, The National Weekly, WAVS 1170 AM and HOT 105 FM, is more than just a culinary adventure; it's a cultural immersion. General admission tickets are available for $35 until September 30, $40 from October 1 to November 11, and $50 at the gate on the show date. VIP tickets are $175. Kids under 10 are free to attend. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.jerkfestival.com ML Staff. Images courtesy of GJJF

I used to live in an evacuation zone and now I am in a storm surge planning zone, what is the difference? A Storm Surge Planning Zone is an area within Miami-Dade County that could potentially be impacted with storm surge of 1.5 feet or higher for a hurricane. The Storm Surge Planning Zones identify the residents who may have to evacuate or shelter-in-place (like others in the County) and should develop contingency plans for either scenario. An Evacuation Zone is an area that will be required to move under an evacuation order for an impending storm and will be a portion, if not all of, the defined Storm Surge Planning Zones. For example, if a Category 2 Hurricane is forecasted to make landfall in Miami-Dade County residents in Storm Surge Planning Zones A and B will be advised to make preparations for evacuation. As the storm gets closer and better information becomes available for where the hurricane may make landfall the County may order all of Zone A and all or portions of Zone B to evacuate. Always follow the County’s evacuation order. How Do Flood Zones and Storm Surge Planning Zones Differ? Storm Surge Planning Zones are quite different from the FEMA 100-Year Flood Insurance Maps. 100- year flood maps are extremely conservative in comparison to hurricane tidal surge maps. If you are vulnerable to hurricane tidal surge flooding and/or 100-year flood events, you should consider purchasing flood insurance. You do not have to be within the 100-year flood plain to be impacted by hurricane tidal surge flooding! Flood zones are areas mapped by FEMA for use in the National Flood Insurance Program. Each flood zone designation, represented by a letter or letters, tells homeowners exactly what the risk is for flooding at their property over a period of years, regardless of the cause. By law, all homes in high-risk zones carrying a mortgage must be covered by flood insurance. For more information on flood zones click here. Storm Surge Planning Zones, on the other hand, are based on hurricane storm surge determined by the National Hurricane Center using ground elevation and the area’s vulnerability to water from lakes/oceans being pushed over land by a hurricane. The storm surge planning zones are marked from A through E. The flood zones and the Storm Surge Planning Zones are determined by different methods and have different purposes. A home may not be located in a storm surge planning zone, yet still be located in a flood zone based on a property’s base flood elevation. Residents must check both zones. An important thing to remember is that flood losses are not covered by homeowner insurance policies. The National Flood Insurance Program makes federally backed flood insurance available to residents and business owners. Any flooding damage covered under the policy – whether or not a federal disaster declaration is made – will be reimbursed per the policy limits, which can include structural damage or the loss of contents. Will this affect my flood insurance ratings? No, how Miami-Dade County designates storm surge planning zones has no bearing on insurance rates. The change to your storm surge planning zones has NO impact on flood zones or flood insurance, which are determined and managed through FEMA and the National Flood Insurance program. How do I find out my Storm Surge Planning Zone? www.miamidade.gov (Services Near You) – Storm Surge Planning Zones Call 3-1-1 Hurricane Guide ( available at your commission office, City Hall (municipal), County Libraries) Call Miami-Dade Emergency Management 305-468-5400 My property is fairly elevated and couldn't possibly be touched by storm surge. Why do I have to evacuate? Emergency Management officials work to prevent putting residents in situations where they would become isolated by water - creating an island. Therefore, some parcels with higher elevations are assigned the evacuation level of surrounding parcels. I have lived in Miami-Dade County my whole life and I have never had to evacuate before. Why now? Emergency Management officials have recently completed a study utilizing new technology to determine with more accuracy the potential impact of storm surge. The result of the study showed more areas of Miami-Dade- County at risk for storm surge. We have redefined areas in the County that should plan for evacuation and property protection. It is very important to note that the exact areas to be evacuated for an approaching hurricane will depend on the strength of the storm, where it is coming from, and the forward speed. Each storm is different and the zones under an evacuation order may be adjusted. There is no single storm that would threaten entire areas; but each area in the surge zones is at risk from at least 1 possible storm scenario. The reason we evacuate certain areas is to get people away from places where storm surge ocean flooding will occur. There also may be a need to evacuate flood prone or low lying areas on or near standing or moving waterways, canals, or other bodies of water. I live in a mobile home, but we're in a non-evacuation zone. Do we have to evacuate? Yes, all mobile home residents are required to evacuate when any evacuation order is issued, regardless of their storm surge planning zone. This has not changed from past years. Mobile homes are considered unsafe to weather even a Category 1 hurricane. So just how accurate are these maps? The maps are as correct and as accurate as current technology can make them. As the storm surge model data is updated and refined in the future, the County incorporates those changes to continue to improve the process of determining Storm Surge Planning Zones. What should I do to prepare for a hurricane? Finalize your family's hurricane preparedness plan now. Know your planning zone and be prepared to leave if an evacuation is required. Who will order an evacuation? The Miami-Dade County Mayor will order an evacuation based on expected conditions and recommendations from public safety personnel. If my planning zone is being evacuated, how and when will I be notified? We plan on using the complete spe ctrum of media and notification means. For example, radio and TV stations will broadcast emergency i nformation. You can register for emergency notifications via the County’s emergency notification syst m (Miami-Dade Alerts). I have a disability and do not drive. How will I evacuate if I am told to evacuate? Will the County provide transportation for me? Yes, the Miami-Dade County Emergency Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP) provides evacuation assistance to those residents who live in an evacuation zone and that may require specialized transportation assistance or whose medical needs prevent them from evacuating on their own. Will the County provide me with transportation to evacuate? Yes, Miami-Dade Transit will provide evacuation assistance utilizing designated existing bus stops. Evacuation pick-up points can be identified by the posted evacuation signs. A list of all evacuation pick-up points can be found here. Does Miami-Dade County have shelters if we have to evacuate or relocate? Yes, Miami-Dade County Emergency Management partners with Miami-Dade Public Schools and the American Red Cross to operate Hurricane Evacuation Centers. These Hurricane Evacuation Centers provide a refuge of last resort for those individuals who need to evacuate and are unable to make their own evacuation arrangements. A list of potential evacuation centers can be found at: http://www.miamidade.gov/fire/evacuations.asp. Not every site will open for every evacuation! Please monitor the local radio or television, or dial 3-1-1 (TDD (305) 468-5402) to find out which centers are open when an evacuation order is announced. If an evacuation is ordered, what do I do with my pet? You may evacuate with your pet to one of the designated Pet-Friendly Hurricane Evacuation Centers located within the County. The opening of Pet-Friendly Hurricane Evacuation Centers will be determined at the time an evacuation is ordered. More information about Pet-Friendly Hurricane Evacuation Centers can be found here. Are evacuation routes identified with signs? No, since it is impossible to determine which route would be a safe evacuation route prior to an incident, permanent signs are not in place. Information as to safe routes to use would be given along with the evacuation order from the Mayor. Special thanks to Miami-Dade for content and resources provided on this page. Images courtesy of unsplash

The water off South Florida is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) in mid-July, and scientists are already seeing signs of coral bleaching off Central and South America. Particularly concerning is how early in the summer we are seeing these high ocean temperatures. If the extreme heat persists, it could have dire consequences for coral reefs. Just like humans, corals can handle some degree of stress, but the longer it lasts, the more harm it can do. Corals can’t move to cooler areas when water temperatures rise to dangerous levels. They are stuck in it. For those that are particularly sensitive to temperature stress, that can be devastating. A transplanted coral in the Port of Miami that was healthy in early 2023 had bleached in the warm water by July 11, 2023.NOAA/University of Miami I lead the Coral Program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab in Miami, Florida. Healthy coral reef ecosystems are important for humans in numerous ways. Unfortunately, marine heat waves are becoming more common and more extreme, with potentially devastating consequences for reefs around the world that are already in a fragile state. Why coral reefs matter to everyone Coral reefs are hot spots of biodiversity. They are often referred to as the rainforests of the sea because they are home to the highest concentrations of species in the ocean. Healthy reefs are vibrant ecosystems that support fish and fisheries, which in turn support economies and food for millions of people. Additionally, they provide billions of dollars in economic activity every year through tourism, particularly in places like the Florida Keys, where people go to scuba dive, snorkel, fish and experience the natural beauty of coral reefs. If that isn’t enough, reefs also protect shorelines, beaches and billions of dollars in coastal infrastructure by buffering wave energy, particularly during storms and hurricanes. What goes into a coral reef? But corals are quite sensitive to warming water. They host a microscopic symbiotic algae called zooxanthella that photosynthesizes just like plants, providing food to the coral. When the surrounding waters get too warm for too long, the zooxanthellae leave the coral, and the coral can turn pale or white – a process known as bleaching. If corals stay bleached, they can become energetically compromised and ultimately die. When corals die or their growth slows, these beautiful, complex reef habitats start disappearing and can eventually erode to sand. A recent paper by John Morris, a scientist in my lab in Florida, shows that around 70% of reefs are now net erosional in the Florida Keys, meaning they are losing more habitat than they build. About 40% of the global ocean was experiencing a marine heat wave in July 2023. NOAA’s experimental forecasts for August and October show sea surface temperatures well above average in many regions. An increase of 1 degree Celsius = 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. NOAA PSL Unfortunately, these critical coral reef habitats are in decline around the world because of extreme bleaching events, disease and numerous other human-caused stressors. In the Florida Keys, coral cover has decline by about 90% over the past several decades. Coral bleaching in 2023 In the Port of Miami, where we have found particularly resilient coral communities, a doctoral candidate in my lab, Allyson DeMerlis, documented the first coral bleaching of her experimentally outplanted corals on July 11, 2023. Other scientists we work with have reported coral bleaching off of Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Mexico in the eastern Pacific, as well as along the Caribbean coasts of Panama, Mexico and Belize. We have yet to see widespread coral death associated with this particular marine heat wave, so it is possible the corals could recover if sea surface temperatures cool down soon. However, global sea surface temperatures are at record highs, and large parts of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific are under bleaching alerts. At this point, the evidence points to the potential for a very negative outcome. Sea surface temperatures have been off the charts. The thick black line is 2023. The orange line is 2022. The 1982-2011 average is the middle dashed line.ClimateReanalyzer.org/NOAA OISST v2.1 El Niño is contributing to the problem this year, but the longer-term trends of rising ocean heat are driven by global warming fueled by human activities. To put that into context, a paper by NOAA scientist Derek Manzello showed that in the Florida Keys, the number of days per year in which water temperatures were higher than 90 F (32 C) had increased by more than 2,500% in the two decades following the mid-1990s relative to the prior 20 years. That is a remarkable increase in the number of days that corals are experiencing particularly stressful warm water. What can we do to protect corals? First, we cannot give up on corals. Alice Webb, a coral reef scientist working with our group, recently published a study based on years of our research in the Florida Keys. She modeled reef habitat persistence under climate, restoration and adaptation scenarios and found that protecting reefs is going to take everything – active restoration of reefs, helping corals acclimate or adapt to changing temperatures, and, importantly, human curbing of greenhouse gas emissions. Sea surface temperatures off South Florida were abnormally high in mid-July 2023.Coral Reef Watch/NOAA Major restoration efforts are underway in the Florida Keys as part of the NOAA-led Mission Iconic Reefs. We are also assessing how different coral individuals perform under stress, hoping to identify those that are particularly stress-tolerant by combing through the massive amounts of data from restoration projects and coral nurseries. We are also evaluating stress-hardening techniques. For example, in tide pools, corals are exposed to large swings in temperature over short periods, making them more resilient to subsequent thermal stress events. We are exploring whether it’s possible to replicate that natural process in the lab, before corals are planted onto reefs, to better prepare them for stressful summers in the wild. Coral bleaching on a large scale has really been documented only since the early 1980s. When I talk to people who have been fishing and diving in the Florida Keys since before I was born, they have amazing stories of how vibrant the reefs used to be. They know firsthand how bad things have become because they have lived it. There isn’t currently a single silver-bullet solution, but ignoring the harm being done is not an option. There is simply too much at stake. By Ian Enochs, Research Ecologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Special thanks to The Conversation for this store. Click here to donate and support The Conversation. Top image by Francesco Ungaro/Unsplash.

Armed with scrub brushes, young scuba divers took to the waters of Florida’s Alligator Reef in late July to try to help corals struggling to survive 2023’s extraordinary marine heat wave. They carefully scraped away harmful algae and predators impinging on staghorn fragments, under the supervision and training of interns from Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education, or I.CARE. Normally, I.CARE’s volunteer divers would be transplanting corals to waters off the Florida Keys this time of year, as part of a national effort to restore the Florida Reef. But this year, everything is going in reverse. As water temperatures spiked in the Florida Keys, scientists from universities, coral reef restoration groups, and government agencies launched a heroic effort to save the corals. Divers have been in the water every day, collecting thousands of corals from ocean nurseries along the Florida Keys reef tract and moving them to cooler water and into giant tanks on land. Marine scientist Ken Nedimyer and his team at Reef Renewal USA began moving an entire coral tree nursery from shallow waters off Tavernier to an area 60 feet deep and 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 Celsius) cooler. Even there, temperatures were running about 85 to 86 F (30 C). Marine scientist Ken Nedimyer collects still-healthy elkhorn coral fragments for moving. The tree structure keeps the corals free of harmful algae.Reef Renewal USA Their efforts are part of an emergency response on a scale never before seen in Florida. The Florida Reef – a nearly 350-mile arc along the Florida Keys that is crucial to fish habitat, coastal storm protection, and the local economy – began experiencing record-hot ocean temperatures in June 2023, weeks earlier than expected. The continuing heat has triggered widespread coral bleaching. A bleached mound of coral at the Cheeca Rocks monitoring site in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary that had been previously tagged shows the coral skeleton.NOAA AOML While corals can recover from mass bleaching events like this, long periods of high heat can leave them weak and vulnerable to disease that can ultimately kill them. That’s what scientists and volunteers have been scrambling to avoid. The heartbeat of the reef The Florida Reef has struggled for years under the pressure of overfishing, disease, storms, and global warming that have decimated its live corals. A massive coral restoration effort – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Mission: Iconic Reef – has been underway since 2019 to restore the reef with transplanted corals, particularly those most resilient to the rising temperatures. But even the hardiest coral transplants are now at risk. Divers involved in NOAA’s Mission: Iconic Reef show how staghorn and elkhorn corals are being transplanted to help the Florida Reef recover. Reef-building corals are the foundation species of shallow tropical waters due to their unique symbiotic relationship with microscopic algae in their tissues. During the day, these algae photosynthesize, producing both food and oxygen for the coral animal. At night, coral polyps feed on plankton, providing nutrients for their algae. The result of this symbiotic relationship is the coral’s ability to build a calcium carbonate skeleton and reefs that support nearly 25% of all marine life. Unfortunately, corals are very temperature sensitive, and the extreme ocean heat off South Florida, with some reef areas reaching temperatures in the 90s, has put them under extraordinary stress. A boulder brain coral, Colpophyllia natans, before and after bleaching during the 2014 marine heat wave in the Florida Keys.Photos by Michael Childress and Kylie Smith When corals get too hot, they expel their symbiotic algae. The corals appear white – bleached – because their carbonate skeleton shows through their clear tissue that lacks any colorful algal cells. Corals can recover new algal symbionts if water conditions return to normal within a few weeks. However, the increase in global temperatures due to the effects of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities is causing longer and more frequent periods of coral bleaching worldwide, leading to concerns for the future of coral reefs. A MASH unit for corals This year, the Florida Keys reached an alert level 2, indicating extreme risk of bleaching, about six weeks earlier than normal. The early warnings and forecasts from NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch Network gave scientists time to begin preparing labs and equipment, track the locations and intensity of the growing marine heat, and, importantly, recruit volunteers. This year’s maximum sea surface temperature (top chart) and degree heating weeks (lower chart), a measure of accumulated heat stress, are the highest since record-keeping began.Adapted from NOAA At the Keys Marine Laboratory, scientists and trained volunteers have dropped off thousands of coral fragments collected from heat-threatened offshore nurseries. Director Cindy Lewis described the lab’s giant tanks as looking like “a MASH unit for corals.” Volunteers there and at other labs across Florida will hand-feed the tiny creatures to keep them alive until the Florida waters cool again and they can be returned to the ocean and eventually transplanted onto the reef. Degree heating weeks is a measure of accumulated heat stress over the previous 12 weeks. At 4-degree Celsius-weeks (7.2 Fahrenheit-weeks), corals experience stress that can lead to bleaching. Above 8 C-weeks (14.4 F-weeks), they are likely to experience bleaching.NOAA Coral Reef Watch Protecting corals still in the ocean I.CARE launched another type of emergency response. I.CARE co-founder Kylie Smith, a coral reef ecologist and a former student of mine in marine sciences, discovered a few years ago that coral transplants with large amounts of fleshy algae around them were more likely to bleach during times of elevated temperature. Removing that algae may give corals a better chance of survival. Youth members of Diving With a Purpose attend a training session and coral maintenance dive with the Islamorada Conservation and Restoration Education team in Islamorada, Fla.I.CARE Smith’s group typically works with local dive operators to train recreational divers to assist in transplanting and maintaining coral fragments in an effort to restore the reefs of Islamorada. In the summer 2023, I.CARE has been training volunteers, like the young divers from Diving with a Purpose, to remove algae and coral predators, such as coral-eating snails and fireworms, to help boost the corals’ chances of survival. Monitoring for corals at risk To help spot corals in trouble, volunteer divers are also being trained as reef observers through Mote Marine Lab’s BleachWatch program. Scuba divers have long been attracted to the reefs of the Florida Keys for their beauty and accessibility. The lab is training them to recognize bleached, diseased and dead corals of different species and then use an online portal to submit bleach reports across the entire Florida Reef. The more eyes on the reef, the more accurate the maps showing the areas of greatest bleaching concern. Ian Enochs, a research ecologist and lead of NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab Coral Program, found that every coral in the Cheeca Rocks area had bleached by Aug. 1, 2023.NOAA AOML Rebuilding the reef While the marine heat wave in the Keys will inevitably kill some corals, many more will survive. Through careful analysis of the species, genotypes, and reef locations experiencing bleaching, scientists and practitioners learn valuable information as they work to protect and rebuild a more resilient coral reef for the future. That is what gives hope to Smith, Lewis, Nedimyer, and hundreds of others who believe this coral reef is worth saving. Volunteers are crucial to the effort, whether they’re helping with coral reef maintenance, reporting bleaching, or raising the awareness of what is at stake if humanity fails to stop warming the planet. By Michael Childress, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences & Environmental Conservation, Clemson University. Special thanks to The Conversation for this store. Click here to donate and support The Conversation. Top image by LI FEI/Unsplash

Originally introduced in the Spring-Summer 2015 show by Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s GO-14 handbag is reimagined in the Fall-Winter 2023 runway collection. Mimicking the interior of Maison’s iconic trunks, the padded lambskin is now embellished in an innovative technique called malletage. The refined sprayed padding effect applied by hand on the new Malletage Satin animation gives a futuristic allure to the bags. This animation emphasizes Maison’s avant-gardist mindset that prevails season after season in the search for new materials that continuously elevate the iconic shapes of the House. The GO-14 bag is unique in Louis Vuitton’s history and is both a commencement and a culmination. The bag is available in several new colorways and is poised to become the latest iconic bag of the House. To learn more visit www.louisvuitton.com By ML staff. Images courtesy of Louis Vuitton

La Maré, a luxury boutique waterfront condominium in Bay Harbor Islands, impresses with its spacious residences offering waterfront views, generous storage spaces, and elegant finishes. The custom Poliform kitchens feature stone countertops and top-of-the-line Miele appliances. The primary bathrooms have dual showers, soaking tubs, and Italian fixtures. Expansive glass-walled terraces provide indoor-outdoor living. The property includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, a spa with steam and sauna, a landscaped rooftop pool deck, private boat slips, and a rooftop bar with a summer kitchen. Renowned designers and architects, including Debora Aguilar Arquitetos and Kobi Karp Architecture, collaborated to create a design that harmonizes with nature and maximizes the beautiful bayfront and city views. La Maré sets a new standard for luxury living. Sales Gallery 10301 E Bay Harbor Dr Bay Harbor Islands, FL 33154 https://lamarebayharbor.com Info@LaMareBayHarbor.com By ML Staff. Image courtesy of La Maré