Learn more about the threat of climate change on coral reefs around the world, and how you can take action to protect them.
Written by Jeanne Kault, Florina Jacob and Olivier Detournay. Acknowledgments to Eric Röttinger. Coral reefs cover an area of 284,300 km2 (Spalding et al.,…
Scleractinian corals and reef formation Coral reefs’ structures are built thanks to the skeleton of Scleractinian corals. These corals begin their life cycle as motile…
A study conducted by Professor Terry Hughes on 1036 reefs in March 2020 brings sad news. Indeed, massive bleaching is once again hitting Australia’s Great…
Symbiosis and coral bleaching description A symbiosis (a beneficial association between two organisms) often exists between corals and dinoflagellate microalgae (symbionts). This symbiosis is known…
Symbiosis is a fascinating biological principle, showing the interdependence of living beings between them. In the face of climate change, these relationships are being altered…
Coral bleaching The sea surface temperature has increased by 0.1 ° C per decade over the last century (Levitus et al., 2005, IPCC 2013). The…
Rising ocean temperatures Oceans take up 71% of the surface of the Earth. They are essential to climate regulation because of their exchange with the…
Reef bleaching / Photography at the discretion of XL Catlin Seaview Survey Coral reefs are home to a remarkable biodiversity and are under…
During the last global bleaching event (2014-2017), portrayed as the most spectacular in terms of intensity, duration and extent, the Great Barrier Reef lost more…
The oceanic heat waves are getting closer and closer together. Over the last two decades, we have had four! Unfortunately, 2016 and 2017 were brutal…
Already weakened by local damages (overfishing, pollution, coastal development) and global damages (rising surface water temperatures and acidification of the marine environment), coral reefs face…
Coral reefs are living underwater mosaics that offer us an unparalleled spectacle every dive. Often compared to tropical rainforests due to their exceptional diversity, these…