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🗞️ Driving the news: The Key Largo tree cactus has become the first US species to be driven to extinction in the wild due to rising sea levels and intensified storms
• Found in Florida Keys, the plant's habitat was increasingly swamped by saltwater, leading to its demise • This event is a stark warning of the broader impacts of climate change on biodiversity

🔭 The context: Initially discovered in 1992, the cactus population was critically impacted by the combined effects of rising tides, sea levels, and extreme weather
• By 2021, the remaining plants were removed from the wild as their habitat became uninhabitable
• The cactus still survives in parts of the Caribbean, but its natural re-establishment in the US is improbable

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The extinction of the Key Largo tree cactus in the wild highlights the severe consequences of climate change on coastal ecosystems
• It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive climate action to prevent similar losses of other vulnerable species and maintain biodiversity

⏭️ What's next: As sea levels are projected to rise significantly by the end of the century, other low-lying coastal plants face similar threats
• Efforts to protect and possibly reintroduce the cactus will be challenging, requiring the identification of suitable habitats resilient to climate change

💬 One quote: “The loss of the species in the US is an indicator of a bigger problem,” said George Gann, co-author of the study and executive director of the Institute for Regional Conservation

📈 One stat: Sea levels around the Florida Keys have risen by an average of 0.16 inches per year, totaling over 8 inches since 1971

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