{"id":7100,"date":"2020-04-21T21:24:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T21:24:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/?p=7100"},"modified":"2021-06-02T10:14:17","modified_gmt":"2021-06-02T10:14:17","slug":"save-coral-reefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/21\/save-coral-reefs\/","title":{"rendered":"THE RACE IS ON TO SAVE CORAL REEFS"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"A vibrant Caribbean coral reef with two Reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) and Common sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) and sea plumes (Pseudopterogorgia sp). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647648-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"A vibrant Caribbean coral reef with two Reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) and Common sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) and sea plumes (Pseudopterogorgia sp). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<p>CORAL REEFS ARE THE RAINFORESTS OF THE SEA, occupying less than 1% of the ocean floor but supporting nearly 25% of all marine species. A healthy reef is like a bustling city, teeming with fish and turtles, as well as a multitude of invertebrates. Shrimps, crabs, brittlestars and worms, cohabit with slugs, snails and squid. But these marine utopias are disappearing before our very eyes. In the past three decades alone, around 50% of corals have been lost, with the latest forecasts suggesting that over 90% of reefs will be gone by 2050. Some problems are local in scope, such as dynamite fishing, or pollution (e.g. from agricultural fertilisers or sunscreens that wash off peoples\u2019 skin). Other problems are global, such as the threats of ocean acidification and warming.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Whitsunday Islands, aerial view, Great Barrier Coral Reef, Queensland, Australia, October 2011.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01369118-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Whitsunday Islands, aerial view, Great Barrier Coral Reef, Queensland, Australia, October 2011.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"RF - A vibrant Red Sea coral reef scene, with orange female Scalefin anthias fish (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) teeming over Fire coral (Millepora dichotoma) feeding on plankton brought to the reef by currents. Ras Mohammed Marine Park, Sinai, Egypt. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588030-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"RF - A vibrant Red Sea coral reef scene, with orange female Scalefin anthias fish (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)  teeming over Fire coral (Millepora dichotoma) feeding on plankton brought to the reef by currents. Ras Mohammed Marine Park, Sinai, Egypt. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-scrollingstrip'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Table coral reef in shallow waters, Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594267-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Table coral reef in shallow waters, Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Maldives, Indian Ocean.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01594267<\/strong> by Jordi Chias<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"RF - Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) swimming over a coral reef. Whilst a Predatory bandcheek wrasse (Oxycheilinus digrammus) is hiding underneath the turtle to enable it to sneak closer to small reef fish, its prey. Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai, Egypt. Red Sea. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01598570-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"RF - Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) swimming over a coral reef. Whilst a Predatory bandcheek wrasse (Oxycheilinus digrammus) is hiding underneath the turtle to enable it to sneak closer to small reef fish, its prey. Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai, Egypt. Red Sea. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01598570<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Blue-throat Wrasse (Notolabrus tetricus) female in coral reef, Governor Island Marine Reserve, Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597407-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Blue-throat Wrasse (Notolabrus tetricus) female in coral reef, Governor Island Marine Reserve, Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>00597407<\/strong> by Gary Bell<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"View of a colony of Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) growing on a coral reef. The growth in this photo represents 12 year&#039;s growth since Hurrican Ivan in 2004, which levelled the colony. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588093-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"View of a colony of Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) growing on a coral reef. The growth in this photo represents 12 year&#039;s growth since Hurrican Ivan in 2004, which levelled the colony.  East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01588093<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Arrow crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) on coral. Eleuthera, Bahamas.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629687-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Arrow crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) on coral. Eleuthera, Bahamas.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01629687<\/strong> by Shane Gross<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Hard corals (including Acropora sp., Platygyra sp. and Pocillopora spp.) growing in shallow water and reflected in the surface. Ras Umm Sid, Sharm El Sheikh, Sinai, Egypt. Red Sea\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01634781-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Hard corals (including Acropora sp., Platygyra sp. and Pocillopora spp.) growing in shallow water and reflected in the surface. Ras Umm Sid, Sharm El Sheikh, Sinai, Egypt. Red Sea\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01634781<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus) school in the reef, Little Cayman island, Cayman Islands, Caribbean.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594283-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus) school in the reef, Little Cayman island, Cayman Islands, Caribbean.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01594283<\/strong> by Jordi Chias<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Split level of snorkeler over coral reef on white sandy seabed contrasting with dry topside landscape in background, Komodo NP, Indonesia, August 2009. Model released.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346858-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Split level of snorkeler over coral reef on white sandy seabed contrasting with dry topside landscape in background, Komodo NP, Indonesia, August 2009. Model released.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01346858<\/strong> by Jurgen Freund<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Midnight snapper (Macolor macularis) shelters in a cavern on a coral reef with white soft corals (Scleronephthya sp.) and solderfish. Vavuu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628770-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Midnight snapper (Macolor macularis) shelters in a cavern on a coral reef with white soft corals (Scleronephthya sp.) and solderfish. Vavuu Atoll, Maldives. Indian Ocean\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01628770<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"A Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) swims over a Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647649-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"A Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) swims over a Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01647649<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">HOW DOES GLOBAL WARMING IMPACT CORAL REEFS?<\/h1>\n<p>The majority of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases \u2013 a whopping 93% \u2013 is absorbed by the world\u2019s oceans. That means the more fossil fuels we burn, the warmer our seas become. According to one study, 2019 was the hottest year on record for the world\u2019s oceans. That may sound like a happy outcome for beachgoers, but the same cannot be said of coral. Although it thrives in warm water, it has thresholds. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that coral reefs will likely decline by 70-90 percent if global average temperatures reach 1.5\u00b0C above pre-industrial levels. If we overshoot that and hit 2\u00b0C, virtually all coral (more than 99 percent) will be lost. The scary part? We\u2019re already at 1\u00b0C above pre-industrial levels and on track to hit 1.5\u00b0C around 2040.<\/p>\n<p>Why does temperature change have such an adverse effect on corals? The answer lies in an ancient mutualistic alliance between corals and algae. For at least 160 million years, certain types of algae \u2013 also known as zooxanthellae \u2013 have been living inside the bodies of corals. There, they convert sunlight into nutrients, which sustain their hosts. The algae get shelter, while the coral gets food. It\u2019s a win-win. And it\u2019s also why we love looking at pictures of coral reefs \u2013 the algae are responsible for bestowing the corals with their pleasant pop of colour.<\/p>\n<p>However, when corals become heat-stressed, they expel their photosynthetic companions. Not only does this cut off the corals\u2019 food supply \u2013 leaving them vulnerable to starvation and disease \u2013 it also robs them of their attractive hues. The resulting white coral is said to be \u2018bleached\u2019.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-4' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) close focus wide angle view, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378916-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) close focus wide angle view, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Brain coral (Colpophyllia natans) bleached, polyps have expelled their zooxanthellae symbiotic algae from their tissue, probably as a result of being stressed by a rise in sea temperature, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies, Caribbean Sea, January 2010.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01378910-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Brain coral (Colpophyllia natans) bleached, polyps \nhave expelled their zooxanthellae symbiotic algae from their tissue, probably as a result of being stressed by a rise in sea temperature, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies, Caribbean Sea, January 2010.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h2>Mass Bleaching<\/h2>\n<p>Some corals can bounce back from bleaching events, but only when given a chance to recover. This process can take 10 to 15 years, and relies on the water temperature returning to a cooler baseline. However, when bleaching is severe, with little time between episodes, the chances of recovery become sketchy at best. Reefs turn into underwater ghost towns.<\/p>\n<p>Global mass bleaching events are now a source of serious concern. The most recent event, between 2014 to 2017, was the worst on record, with over 70% of the world\u2019s reefs affected. Australia\u2019s great barrier reef was hit especially hard, with two back-to-back marine heat waves in 2016 and 2017 killing two thirds of its coral. The latest data, released in April 2020, shows an even bleaker picture. <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/we-just-spent-two-weeks-surveying-the-great-barrier-reef-what-we-saw-was-an-utter-tragedy-135197\">For the first time in history, there is coral bleaching along the entire 1,500 mile length of the Great Barrier Reef<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-5' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Hard corals showing bleaching caused by heat stress, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, May 2010.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01347025-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Hard corals showing bleaching caused by heat stress, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, May 2010.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Damselfish (Pomacentrus sp) group in bleached Stony Coral (Acropora sp), Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-150x101.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00586472-158x106.jpg 158w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Damselfish (Pomacentrus sp) group in bleached Stony Coral (Acropora sp), Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">WHAT CAN WE DO TO LESSEN THE IMPACT?<\/h1>\n<h2>Coral Gardening<\/h2>\n<p>Environmental activists and marine biologists across the world are scrambling to find ways to save our remaining reefs. One of the biggest instruments in their toolkit is &#8220;coral gardening&#8221;. It involves mass-producing live corals in nurseries and transplanting them back into degraded reefs. In the Caribbean, for example, coral nurseries play a key role in the restoration of staghorn and elkhorn corals. The fragments are taken from healthy reefs and each one grows just like a cutting from a plant. Hung from \u2018propagation trees\u2019 or laid out on tables, these cuttings are grown until they\u2019re large enough to be \u2018outplanted\u2019. In other words, attached to damaged or over-stressed reefs, helping to speed their recovery.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) are looking at ways coral strains can be cross-bred to produce so-called &#8216;super corals&#8217; (the \u2018super\u2019 part comes from their ability to withstand higher water temperatures).<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-6' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Diver fragmenting a growing piece of Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) hung on coral propagation tree, as part of a coral conservation nursery project. East End, Grand Cayman. Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588104-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Diver fragmenting a growing piece of Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) hung on coral propagation tree, as part of a coral conservation nursery project. East End, Grand Cayman. Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Wide angle view of coral propagation table with mushroom corals (Herpolitha limax) Aqaba, Jordan. Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01555459-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Wide angle view of coral propagation table with mushroom corals (Herpolitha limax) Aqaba, Jordan. Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Marine biologist measuring Brain coral (Colpophyllia natans), ongoing program to monitor and restore coral reefs in The Bahamas. Eleuthera, Bahamas. 2017.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01629686-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Marine biologist measuring Brain coral (Colpophyllia natans), ongoing program to monitor and restore coral reefs in The Bahamas. Eleuthera, Bahamas. 2017.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h2>Artificial Reefs<\/h2>\n<p>If it\u2019s not enough to jump-start reefs then conservationists can try building them from scratch. Artificial reefs are man-made structures that are either deliberately or unintentio\u00adnally submerged underwater. In the right marine environment, you can pretty much sink anything solid \u2013 concrete structures, old tyres, wrecked ships and planes \u2013 and corals can form on it. Reefs have even developed on structures as unexpected as decommissioned subway cars and vintage battle tanks. The responsible creation of artifi\u00adcial reefs serves the dual purpose of waste disposal while benefitting the environment and tou\u00adrism industry. Over decades, these defunct objects become encrusted with life, turning human scrap into natural wonders (many examples can be viewed in our feature story about artificial reefs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/pictures\/pdfs\/NPL_Creating%20a%20Reef.pdf\">here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>However, the creation of artificial reefs can be a bit hit-and-miss. Which is why, in the 1970s, marine scientists Thomas Goreau and Wolf Hilbertz developed \u2018biorock\u2019 technology. By running a low-voltage current through a steel structure immersed in seawater, a hard shell of limestone &#8211; the key ingredient in coral &#8211; quickly forms. You can then attach coral fragments to it, and the limestone substrate helps the coral grow five times faster than normal. Today, biorock projects are assisting with coral conservation all over the globe.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-7' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Moray eel (Muraena helena) looking out of a hole in the artificial reef, Larvotto Marine Reserve, Monaco, Mediterranean Sea, July 2009. WWE INDOOR EXHIBITION\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01267020-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Moray eel (Muraena helena) looking out of a hole in the artificial reef, Larvotto Marine Reserve, Monaco, Mediterranean Sea, July 2009. WWE INDOOR EXHIBITION\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-600x401.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-320x214.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-900x601.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01391518-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Submarine statues at the MUSA Cancun Underwater Museum, a conservation project to promote the growth of coral. Isla Mujeres, Cancun National Park, Caribbean Sea, Mexico.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Diver looking at artificial reef in Permuteran Bay, Bali Island, Indonesia. The man-made metal Bio Rock reef structure has a low-voltage electrical current flowing through the metal frame. This causes minerals in the sea water to precipitate onto the steel frames, resulting in the formation of a limestone layer. Scientists then attach small pieces of coral to the Bio Reef structures. These corals quickly become cemented into place by the accumulating limestone. Indonesia, tropical Pacific Ocean.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01517453-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Diver looking at artificial reef in Permuteran Bay, Bali Island, Indonesia. The man-made metal Bio Rock reef structure has a low-voltage electrical current flowing through the metal frame. This causes minerals in the sea water to precipitate onto the steel frames, resulting in the formation of a limestone layer. Scientists then attach small pieces of coral to the Bio Reef structures. These corals quickly become cemented into place by the accumulating limestone. Indonesia, tropical Pacific Ocean.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h2>Predator control<\/h2>\n<p>On the Great Barrier Reef, scientists are working to control the numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish. These marine invertebrates \u2013 which get their name from their venomous spines, have a voracious appetite for coral. Each one ingests 10 square metres of it per year. And there are more than five million of these starfish patrolling a stretch of the reef between Cairns and Cooktown. When populations reach outbreak levels, marine scientists spring into action. They either physically remove the starfish, or cull them there and then, by chemical injection. Another \u2013 more natural weapon \u2013 is to breed and introduce the rare giant triton, a large marine snail that preys on the starfish. In a new effort, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2018\/aug\/31\/robot-drone-could-protect-great-barrier-reef-by-killing-crown-of-thorns-starfish\">robot drones<\/a> have been deployed to disptach the starfish, while also monitoring coral bleaching, water quality, pest species, pollution and sediment buildup.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-8' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Pair of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci) feeding on a coral colony. La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Sea of Cortez, Gulf of California, East Pacific Ocean.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01628775-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Pair of crown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster planci) feeding on a coral colony. La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Sea of Cortez, Gulf of California, East Pacific Ocean.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon portrait'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00541110-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Crown-of-thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) group being removed by Marlen Zigler, since the starfish is detrimental to the coral reef, Koro Island, Fiji\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00541110-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00541110-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00541110-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00541110-678x450.jpg 678w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Crown-of-thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) group being removed by Marlen Zigler, since the starfish is detrimental to the coral reef, Koro Island, Fiji\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Giant triton (Charonia tritonis) eating a Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) at night. New Caledonia. Pacific Ocean.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01480810-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Giant triton (Charonia tritonis) eating a Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) at night.  New Caledonia. Pacific Ocean.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">CELEBRATING REEFS<\/h1>\n<h2>Reef Visions<\/h2>\n<p>Dutch photographer Georgette Douwma has photographed coral reefs for as long as she can remember. \u201cI\u2019ve always been drawn to coral reefs,\u201d she says. \u201cTo watch them die would be a tragedy.\u201d Looking for a way to develop her work in new directions, Douwma began experimenting with what she calls \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/-stories\/feature-stories\/reef-visions.html\"><u>coral kaleidoscopes<\/u><\/a>\u2019 \u2013 duplicating and reduplicating her images in a fashion not too dissimilar from the way the corals themselves proliferate. As well as reproducing sexually, corals can propagate by cloning themselves. Break a fragment from a coral and reattach it to the seafloor, and that fragment will mature into a new, yet genetically identical clone.<\/p>\n<p>Douwma is now in the business of cloning corals herself \u2013 albeit in photographic form. Motivated primarily by aesthetic values, she creates arresting compositions with strong symmetry, texture and design. \u201cMy ultimate aim is to capture something that is greater than the sum of its parts,\u201d she says. \u201cSomething that can communicate the vibrancy and colour of healthy reefs, before the next big bleaching event happens.\u201d The resulting pieces bring to life in spectacular fashion the underwater edens that we stand to lose, unless we can find a way to slow global warming.<\/p>\n<p>More of Douwma\u2019s coral kaleidoscopes can be seen in our feature story <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/pictures\/pdfs\/NPL_Reef_Visions.pdf\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-9' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Kaleidoscopic image of Bigeye snappers (Lutjanus lutjanus) on coral reef with soft corals. West Papua, Indonesia.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630181-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Kaleidoscopic image of Bigeye snappers (Lutjanus lutjanus) on coral reef with soft corals. West Papua, Indonesia.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Kaleidoscopic image of Dark red-spined brittle star (Ophiothrix purpurea), North Sulawesi, Indonesia.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01630194-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Kaleidoscopic image of Dark red-spined brittle star (Ophiothrix purpurea), North Sulawesi, Indonesia.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Kaleidoscopic image of corals (Dendronephthya sp) Egypt, Red Sea\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606289-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Kaleidoscopic image of corals (Dendronephthya sp) Egypt, Red Sea\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Seawhip (Cirrhipathes spiralis) Indonesia.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606288-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Seawhip (Cirrhipathes spiralis) Indonesia.\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias sqamipinnis). Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01606299-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Gorgonian sea fan (Melithaea sp.) with Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias sqamipinnis). Similan Islands, Andaman Sea, Thailand\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h2>Coral Rainbow<\/h2>\n<p>The amazing diversity of colour in coral reefs is one of the main reasons we&#8217;re so drawn to them. To celebrate their beauty we&#8217;ve put together some fun facts that will take you through the whole spectrum of the coral rainbow. At the time of writing, rainbows have become a symbol of solidarity for a world weighed down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps those of you who are home schooling will find this an inspirational resource to teach your kids some cool coral facts. Take a look <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/pictures\/pdfs\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_2.pdf\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-10' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-standard'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_1-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_1-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_1-1026x684.jpg 1026w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_1-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_12-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_12-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_12-1026x684.jpg 1026w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_12-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_12-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_13-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_13-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_13-1026x684.jpg 1026w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_13-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_13-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_14-360x240.jpg\" class=\"attachment-three-two size-three-two\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_14-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_14-1026x684.jpg 1026w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_14-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/NPL_Coral_Rainbow_14-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?<\/h1>\n<p>Ocean warming is killing corals and we need solutions. Reefs support the livelihoods of half a billion people, and provide $30 billion annually in goods and services, including significant tourism revenue. They act as natural breakwaters, providing protection against storms for many coastal communities. Moreover, up to a third of all marine species rely on coral reefs for their survival. Their loss would undoubtedly ripple out into human societies that depend of these species as a source of protein. Scientists worry that the loss of reefs, and the species they support, could evolve into a humanitarian crisis.<\/p>\n<p>We have tools at our disposal, and a wide range of innovative measures to help coral reefs withstand the pressures of global warming. But these measures can only go so far. If all we do is address the symptoms and not the cause, then our progress will likely be overshadowed. The scientists who conducted the latest survey of the Great Barrier Reef summed it up earlier this month:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>\u201cThe Great Barrier Reef will continue to lose corals from heat stress, until global emissions of greenhouse gasses are reduced to net zero, and sea temperatures stabilise. Without urgent action to achieve this outcome, it\u2019s clear our coral reefs will not survive business-as-usual emissions.\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Where there\u2019s a will, there\u2019s a way.<\/h2>\n<p>On 1<sup>st <\/sup>April 2020 an international team of the world\u2019s leading marine scientists across 10 countries, laid out a roadmap for an ocean renaissance, that will help marine life recover to full abundance by 2050. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaust.edu.sa\/en\/news\/marine-life-can-be-rebuilt-by-2050\">The study<\/a> identifies specific interventions, including protecting large swathes of ocean, sustainable fishing and pollution controls, and mitigating climate change. The measures would cost billions of dollars a year, the scientists say, but would bring benefits ten times as high. New innovations are being proposed all the time &#8211; including the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2020\/jun\/08\/commonwealth-nations-to-protect-coral-reefs-with-satellite-technology\">satellite technology<\/a> to protect coral reefs.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday, 8<sup>th<\/sup> June 2021 is UN <a href=\"https:\/\/unworldoceansday.org\/\">World Oceans Day<\/a>.\u00a0 This year&#8217;s theme is \u201cThe Ocean: Life and Livelihoods\u201d, launching\u00a0 a decade of challenges to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 14 to \u201cconserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources\u201d by 2030.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-11' class='gallery gallery-7100 style-scrollingstrip'><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Wave breaking over the reef, Table coral (Acropora) Safaga, Egypt, Red Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01594268-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Wave breaking over the reef, Table coral (Acropora) Safaga, Egypt, Red Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01594268<\/strong> by Jordi Chias<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Sea Goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) school in coral reef with feather stars, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597393-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Sea Goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis) school in coral reef with feather stars, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>00597393<\/strong> by Gary Bell<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Temperate deep water reef with sponges, sea whips, and feather stars, Governor Island Marine Reserve, Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/00597408-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Temperate deep water reef with sponges, sea whips, and feather stars, Governor Island Marine Reserve, Bicheno, Tasmania, Australia\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>00597408<\/strong> by Gary Bell<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Soft corals (Scleronephthya corymbosa) inside a cavern within a coral reef. This species is typical of cave habitats. Uum Karerim, St Johns Reef. Egypt. Red Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01536838-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Soft corals (Scleronephthya corymbosa) inside a cavern within a coral reef. This species is typical of cave habitats. Uum Karerim, St Johns Reef. Egypt. Red Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01536838<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Four Pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti) on a Seafan \/ Gorgonian (Muricella sp. ) including one or several pregnant males. New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01636642-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Four Pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti) on a Seafan \/ Gorgonian (Muricella sp. ) including one or several pregnant males. New Caledonia, Pacific Ocean.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01636642<\/strong> by Pascal Kobeh<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"RF - Scissortail sergeants fish (Abudefduf sexfasciatus) sheltering beneath hard coral (Acropora sp.) in the evening on a coral reef, Red Sea. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588026-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"RF - Scissortail sergeants fish (Abudefduf sexfasciatus) sheltering beneath hard coral (Acropora sp.) in the evening on a coral reef,  Red Sea. (This image may be licensed either as rights managed or royalty free.)\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01588026<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Split level view of coral reef, Komodo National Park, Flores, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Second Place in the Portfolio Award of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards Competition 2015.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520182-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Split level view of coral reef, Komodo National Park, Flores, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Second Place in the Portfolio Award of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards Competition 2015.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01520182<\/strong> by Jurgen Freund<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Blue linkia starfish (Linckia laevigata) pair attached to the dead part of coral, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01346399-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Blue linkia starfish (Linckia laevigata) pair attached to the dead part of coral, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01346399<\/strong> by Jurgen Freund<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Flower tree soft corals (Umbellulifera sp.), Triton Bay, near Kaimana, West Papua, Indonesia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01588789-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Flower tree soft corals (Umbellulifera sp.), Triton Bay, near Kaimana, West Papua, Indonesia\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01588789<\/strong> by Linda Pitkin<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Masked butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus), pair sheltering under table coral (Acropora) Shark Reef to Jolande, Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt, Red Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-375x249.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-600x398.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-900x598.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01597274-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Masked butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus), pair sheltering under table coral (Acropora) Shark Reef to Jolande, Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt, Red Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01597274<\/strong> by Linda Pitkin<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) swimming through gorgonians on a coral reef. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands. Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-900x599.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01520045-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) swimming through gorgonians on a coral reef. Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands. Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01520045<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><figure class='gallery-item col-0'><div class='gallery-icon landscape'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651.jpg\" class=\"attachment-gallery-strip-thumb size-gallery-strip-thumb\" alt=\"A shiver of Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) swim over a coral reef with Common sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) and sea plumes (Pseudopterogorgia sp). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/01647651-159x106.jpg 159w\" sizes=\"100vw\" title=\"A shiver of Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) swim over a coral reef with Common sea fans (Gorgonia ventalina) and sea plumes (Pseudopterogorgia sp). Jardines de la Reina, Gardens of the Queen National Park, Cuba. Caribbean Sea.\" \/><\/div><div class=\"gallery-overview-caption\"><strong>01647651<\/strong> by Alex Mustard<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .gallery -->\n\n<p>View our full coral reefs gallery <a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/habitats-hotspots\/habitats\/coral-reefs.html\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CORAL REEFS ARE THE RAINFORESTS OF THE SEA, occupying less than 1% of the ocean floor but supporting nearly 25% of all marine species. A healthy reef is like a bustling city, teeming with fish and turtles, as well as a multitude of invertebrates. Shrimps, crabs, brittlestars and worms, cohabit with slugs, snails and squid&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/2020\/04\/21\/save-coral-reefs\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"button\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories","category-conservation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7100"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7100"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10882,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7100\/revisions\/10882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturepl.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}