Miami, FL
Scientists transplant crossbred corals to help save Miami’s reefs from climate change
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — A team of scientists from the University of Miami, the Florida Aquarium and Tela Coral in Honduras is working together to transplant crossbred coral fragments onto a reef off Miami’s coastline that was devastated by coral bleaching two years ago.
They’re looking for ways to help reefs survive increased ocean temperatures caused by global warming and climate change.
“It’s the end of a very long process,” Andrew Baker, professor of marine biology and ecology at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School and director of the Coral Reef Futures Lab, said Tuesday as divers planted the corals off Miami.
The plan of introducing corals from the Caribbean evolved over the past few years.
“We had this idea that we really needed to try to help Florida’s coral reef by introducing more diversity from around the Caribbean, recognizing that some of the biggest threats to corals, like climate change, are really global phenomena and if you try to have Florida’s reefs save themselves on their own, we could give them some outside help,” Baker said.
Coral breeding has also been done in Hawaii, where in 2021, scientists were working to speed up the coral’s evolutionary clock to breed “super corals” that can better withstand the impacts of global warming.
Baker’s group teamed with the Florida Aquarium and Tela Coral, bringing in fragments of corals from a warm reef off of Tela, Honduras, which spawned in tanks at the aquarium.
“We were able to cross the spawn from those corals, the sperm and the eggs, to produce babies. One parent from Florida, one parent from Honduras,” Baker said.
They chose the reef off of Tela because the water is about 2 degrees Celsius (35.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the water off the coast of Florida.
“And yet the corals in those environments, and especially the Elkhorn corals, are really thriving,” Baker said.
He noted that there are extensive beds that are hundreds of meters long, full of flourishing Elkhorn.
“And yet they survive there despite really warm conditions and also quite nutrient-polluted waters,” Baker said.
The conditions are similar to those Florida will face over the next century, Baker said.
It’s also the first time international crossbreeding of corals has been permitted for planting onto wild reefs.
“So we’re really excited to see how these do,” he said.
The hope is the corals will be more “thermally tolerant,” which Baker and the team will be testing throughout the summer.
Elkhorn corals are some of Florida’s most iconic species and are valuable because they form the crest of the reef, Baker said.
“And the reef is what protects shorelines from storms and flooding. So if you have healthy Elkhorn coral populations, you have a great reef that is acting almost like a speed bump over which waves and storms pass and dissipate their energy before they hit the coast,” he said.
Elkhorn corals are in serious decline, thanks in part to the coral bleaching in 2023 and warming sea temperatures, Baker said.
While coral get their bright colors from the colorful algae that live inside them, prolonged warmth causes the algae to release toxic compounds. The coral ejects them, and a stark white skeleton — referred to as coral bleaching — is left behind, and the weakened coral is at risk of dying.
“We’ve lost maybe more than 95% of the Elkhorn corals that were on Florida’s reefs at that point,” Baker said.
Some of the corals spawned in the Florida Aquarium’s laboratory arrived there in 2020, said Keri O’Neil, director and senior scientist with the aquarium’s Coral Conservation Program.
She said more fragments from Honduras and Florida will continue to live at the center.
“We hope that every year in the future we can make more and more crosses and continue to figure out which parents produce the best offspring,” O’Neil said.
The tiny Elkhorn coral fragments were placed onto small concrete bases along the reef on Tuesday.
“We’ve arranged them in a certain way that we can compare the performance of each of corals,” Baker said.
The team will study how the corals that have a Honduran parent compare to the ones that are entirely from Florida.
“But it’s really the future that we’re looking to and in particular, a warming future and a warming summer, how these corals do and do they have more thermal tolerance than the native Florida population, because that’s really what the goal of the whole project is,” he said.
Baker said it’s the most exciting project he’s worked on during his 20-year stint at the University of Miami.
If the corals thrive, it could provide a blueprint for working across the Caribbean to share corals.
“This is a project about international collaboration, about the fact that our environment really doesn’t have closed borders, that we can work together to make things better in the world,” said Juli Berwald, co-founder of Tela Cora. “And it shows that when we talk to each other, when we work together, we can really do something that might be life-changing, not just for us but for the corals and the reefs and all the animals that rely on the reefs.”
___
Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Miami, FL
North Miami Beach 6-year-old who was allegedly severely abused dies: Family
A 6-year-old boy with autism who police said was severely abused by his mother’s boyfriend in North Miami Beach has died after spending weeks in the hospital, family members said.
The boy, Mason, had been hospitalized in critical condition last month, but his grandmother told NBC6 on Friday that he’d been taken off a ventilator and passed away.
Police had responded to a home in the 1400 block of Northeast 179th Street for a report of a child in cardiac arrest.
In body camera footage released by police, Mason was seen wrapped in a blanket and had no detectable pulse.
North Miami Beach Police, Family Photo
North Miami Beach Police, Family Photo Mason
Mason was given CPR until Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews arrived and regained a pulse, and he was taken to Jackson North Hospital in critical condition.
Doctors reported internal bleeding in the brain, lacerations to the liver and kidney, a broken arm, and bruises covering his entire body.
His mother’s boyfriend, 34-year-old Daniel Eduardo Romero, was accused of severely abusing the boy, and was later arrested on charges including aggravated child abuse causing great bodily harm involving torture, child neglect causing great bodily harm, and tampering with a victim.
According to an arrest report, Romero gave conflicting stories about how Mason was injured, first claiming he was teaching the boy how to ride a bicycle when he fell, then changing his story and claiming they were using a wagon.
Romero said the boy didn’t appear to be seriously injured and medical care was not sought but he woke up lethargic the next day and progressively weakened and when he became unresponsive they called 911, the report said.
Miami-Dade Corrections Miami-Dade Corrections Daniel Eduardo Romero

The boy’s mother, 32-year-old Cynthia Hernandez, was later arrested on charges including child neglect, failure to report child neglect and providing a false statement to law enforcement, officials said.
Police had previously said Hernandez was cooperating with the investigation and told officers Romero would become frustrated with Mason because of his neurodevelopmental condition. Records also show Romero has two prior convictions for domestic violence.
In the arrest report, Hernandez told detectives that Romero had a short temper and anger problems.
Hernandez’s attorney criticized her arrest, saying she was also a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Romero.
Her mother also said Hernandez was a domestic violence victim.
Romero pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond while he awaits trial. It’s unknown whether he’ll face new charges following Mason’s death.
Miami, FL
The Prime Cleaner Opens New South Miami Location, Expanding Premium Cleaning Services Across Miami-Dade County
Miami’s most trusted family-owned cleaning service opens a new South Miami location at 2000 S. Dixie Hwy. Serving Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, and surrounding areas.
MIAMI, FL – The Prime Cleaner, one of Miami’s fastest-growing residential cleaning services, officially announces the opening of its new South Miami office located at 2000 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100B-A, Miami, FL 33133. The expansion marks a major milestone for the family-owned business, which has completed over 9,000 cleanings and earned 500+ five-star reviews since its founding in 2021.
The new South Miami location positions The Prime Cleaner to deliver faster response times and same-day availability to homeowners and property managers across South Miami, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Key Biscayne, Kendall, Palmetto Bay, Miami Beach, Edgewater, Midtown Miami, the Miami Design District, and Aventura.
A Family Business Built on Trust
Founded by Jay and his mother Ana, The Prime Cleaner was built on a straightforward belief — that every Miami homeowner deserves a cleaning team they can genuinely trust. From day one, the business has operated with background-checked professionals, non-toxic products safe for families and pets, and a consistent crew model that ensures clients see familiar faces on every visit.
“Opening our South Miami office is something we’ve been working toward for a long time. South Miami and the surrounding neighborhoods have been part of our story since the beginning. Having a physical presence here lets us serve our clients faster, respond same-day, and continue building the kind of relationships this community deserves.”— Jay McGough, Co-Founder, The Prime Cleaner
Comprehensive Cleaning Services for Miami’s Finest Homes
From the South Miami office, The Prime Cleaner offers its full suite of professional cleaning services:
- Deep Cleaning — Top-to-bottom resets for homes that need a thorough refresh
- Standard Recurring Cleaning — Weekly, biweekly, and monthly housekeeping plans
- Move In / Move Out Cleaning — Built to landlord and property standards
- Post-Construction Cleaning — Dust, debris, and construction residue removal
- Event Cleaning — Pre and post-event cleanup for homes and venues
- Exterior Window Cleaning — Streak-free results for interior and exterior glass
- Tile & Grout Restoration — Deep cleaning that restores original color and shine
- Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning — Stain removal and odor elimination safe for pets and kids
- Post-Fumigation Cleaning — Full sanitization after pest control treatments
- Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Cleaning — Turnover cleaning to maintain five-star ratings
Every service is backed by The Prime Cleaner’s 100% satisfaction guarantee — if a client isn’t satisfied, the team returns and corrects it at no additional charge.
Rapid Growth Driven by Five-Star Service
Since launching in 2021, The Prime Cleaner has become one of Miami’s most reviewed and most trusted residential cleaning services. With over 9,000 cleanings completed and more than 500 five-star Google reviews, the company continues to grow month over month — driven entirely by client referrals, repeat bookings, and a reputation built one home at a time.
The South Miami expansion is part of a broader growth strategy that includes new neighborhood service pages, an expanded team of background-checked cleaning professionals, and an ongoing commitment to raising the standard of residential cleaning across Miami-Dade County.
About The Prime Cleaner
The Prime Cleaner is a family-owned residential cleaning service based in Miami, Florida. Founded in 2021 by Jayger and Ana, the company specializes in deep cleaning, recurring housekeeping, move in/out cleaning, post-construction cleanup, and specialty cleaning services across Miami-Dade County. Licensed, insured, and BBB accredited, The Prime Cleaner serves homeowners, landlords, Airbnb hosts, and property managers across South Miami, Coral Gables, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Pinecrest, Key Biscayne, Kendall, Miami Beach, Edgewater, Midtown Miami, the Miami Design District, Aventura, and surrounding neighborhoods.
New South Miami Office
2000 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100B-A | Miami, FL 33133 | (786) 420-4273 | www.theprimecleaner.com/location/south-miami
Media Contact
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Miami, FL
Inside Miami’s billionaire bunker, a manmade island for the .01% where billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg shell out for total privacy | Fortune
In a city known for flash and nine-figure price tags, Miami’s most coveted waterfront neighborhood features addresses that start at $60 million—and a near guarantee that you’ll never be able to visit.
Indian Creek Island, also known as Billionaire Bunker, is a 300-acre, manmade strip of land in Biscayne Bay just north of Miami Beach that has attracted the ultra-rich in droves. Its monied residents include NFL quarterback Tom Brady, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump.
The main island contains a mere 40 lots of purely waterfront property, adding another layer of exclusivity on top of the inflated cost to entry. The island’s interior is dominated by the Indian Creek Country Club and its private 18-hole golf course. Those looking to rub shoulders on the links will have to reportedly pay a $500,000 initiation fee and go through a lengthy admissions process.
Though properties could be had for less, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg became the latest billionaire to reportedly snatch up a newly completed mansion at an estimated price tag of between $150 million and $200 million earlier this month. And of the ultra-wealthy who can afford to shell out millions for a home, many often tear down the existing structure to build a new one, said Michael Martirena, cofounder of the Ivan and Mike Team at real estate brokerage Compass.
The Price of Exclusivity
With only 84 residents as of 2020, Indian Creek Island is one of the most exclusive enclaves in America, and a big reason why is the privacy and security that it affords its ultra-wealthy residents.
Indian Creek is an independent municipality with its own government and a police force that patrols the island 24/7 not only by land but also by sea. A single guarded bridge connects it to the mainland, and any visitors must show their ID and may even undergo vehicle inspection, said Martirena, who has toured properties there with clients.
“It’s a bubble, and no one can get on and off, unless you have a reason,” said Martirena, who specializes in ultra-luxury real estate.
Unlike nearby South Beach celebrity enclaves such as Palm, Star, and Hibiscus Islands—where boat tours regularly pass by waterfront mansions—Indian Creek’s marine patrols keep onlookers away, Martirena told Fortune.
Because of the island’s location and strategic landscaping, very few homes in the surrounding areas, like the Bay Harbor Islands or Surfside, have a clear view of Indian Creek Island. This makes it very private, said Martirena, and very desirable.
“It’s the place to be,” said Martirena. “People of that caliber feel safe and not bothered.”
And yet, wealth alone doesn’t guarantee access. All the listings are done “off market,” said Martirena, meaning a buyer’s agent will have to deal directly with a property owner’s representatives, and contact them multiple times if they are not quite ready to sell.
“It’s a small community, and just to keep the chatter at a low level, they do it all internally and very private,” he said.
In an already exclusive community, the western side offers an even more seclusive experience because the lots border the intracoastal waterway separating the island from the mainland, Mick Duchon, a Miami Beach–based real estate agent with the Corcoran Group, previously told Fortune. On this side of the island, home to two of the five richest people in the world, Zuckerberg and Bezos, the lots measure about 80,000 square feet, compared to 50,000 square feet which is the norm on the island, Duchon said.
Since announcing his move from Seattle to Florida in 2023, Bezos snapped up three properties on the island for more than $230 million combined. He’s turning two western lots into a compound while he lives in a Mediterranean-style house on the third lot on the other side of the island.
The billionaire migration to Indian Creek reflects a broader influx in South Florida luxury real estate, which Martirena described as “COVID 2.0.” Thanks in part to Florida’s lack of a state income tax, interest from high end buyers is exploding even as activity at the lower end of the housing market slows.
Another factor is the proposed 5% billionaire wealth tax, which is gathering steam in California. Google co-founder Larry Page has reportedly begun shifting assets, including his family office, out of California. The billionaire recently paid $173 million for two waterfront mansions in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood.
Martirena said his own business has picked up over the last couple of weeks, with three recent inquiries that he attributed directly to the potential wealth tax.
“They’re kind of pre-planning ahead of time. They don’t want to move here,” he said. “They want to stay in the state of California, because they love where they’re at, and they never thought of moving. But they work very hard for their money, and they said they like their pocketbook much more.”
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