ever recorded. you have to go deeper to feel a little cooler water. and definitely warmer than usual. reporter: the scorching ocean causing a crisis for coral reefs, becoming diseased, bleached, and withered. we are racing against the clock here, because these waters are hot. and corals cannot survive in really hot water. reporter: at the keys marine lab, noaa providing facilities to save the endangered reefs, experts cleaning and prepping them. this tank could be the difference between preserving the coral reef and not? that is correct. reporter: for norm montoya maya with the coral restoration foundation is the point person from getting these reefs from here in the keys to a coral bus. we have a whole ecosystem that is at stake here. reporter: and ultimately moved to a lab to keep them safe from extinction. this reef is a national treasure. it s like yellowstone. reporter: today s conditions further testament to the alarming trends