Reef science

How coral reefs work, what threatens them and how they can recover.

Coral reef and fish off Klein Bonaire

Reef science What is a coral reef? How reefs form, live and grow Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but support around a quarter of all marine species. What corals are, how reefs are built, and why they matter.

Corals seen while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef

Reef science Coral bleaching: what it is, why it happens and what it means for reefs