Can Florida’s ‘coastal corridor’ project safeguard wildlife and boost economy?

A bluestriped grunt swims around a coral reef in Key West, Florida, on 16 July 2023. Photograph: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

From disappearing manatees to bleached coral reefs, gender-changing turtles and oyster beds destroyed by hurricanes, no other state’s marine life faces the magnitude of climate-related challenges that Florida’s does.

Now, wildlife authorities are attempting to bring some cohesion to tackling the diverse slate of issues by borrowing from a playbook that has already proved successful on land.