Maya Gomez

PhD student in Marine Sciences, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Maya Gomez

Photo of branching staghorn coral for representation. In the 1980s, the branching staghorn and elkhorn corals were the dominant reef-builders in the Florida region.

Wildlife & Biodiversity

2 iconic coral species are now functionally extinct off Florida, study finds — we witnessed the reef’s bleaching and devastation

24 Oct 2025

5 min read