Cailyn Joseph, a graduate student in Andrew Baker's lab, organizes brain and elkhorn coral in Honduras before the trip to Miami.
University of Miami Rosenstiel School
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Christiane Keyhani (bottom left) and Liz Yannell (bottom right), of the non-profit group Hui O Ka Wai Ola, measure water quality along Lahaina's coast. The group is part of a coalition that mobilized in the wake of the fire to closely monitor the water quality off Lahaina. Ryan Kellman/NPR hide caption
Record levels of heat in the ocean are causing a worldwide mass bleaching event on coral reefs, as seen here on the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists are working on creating more heat-resistant coral to help restore reefs. Veronique Mocellin/AIMS hide caption
During spawning corals release their eggs and sperm, filling the water like confetti, which combine to create the next generation of reef builders. Marie Roman/AIMS hide caption
This type of staghorn coral (Acropora pulchra) appeared to benefit from the presence of sea cucumbers (Holothuria atra), a new study finds. Terry Moore/Stocktrek Images / Science Source hide caption
As oceans get hotter, scientists are looking for ways to safeguard coral species so they can be used to restore reefs in the future. Donald Miralle/Getty Images hide caption
The extreme wildfire that hit Lahaina burned all the way to the coast. As the cleanup continues, rainstorms could wash toxic runoff into the ocean. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption
A diver swims around a coral reef in Key West, Florida. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Researchers found that plastic debris sits atop almost 92% of the reefs they studied, including some of the most remote and uninhabited ones. Here in Oman, plastic floats past an otherwise healthy reef. Tane Sinclair-Taylor hide caption
Scientist Amy Apprill, with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, places a recording device onto a coral reef in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Paul Caiger/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution hide caption
Australia's Great Barrier Reef is being hit hard by climate change, but new research is showing how some corals are more resilient to heat. Sam McNeil/AP hide caption
Flooding in Ocean City, N.J. in October 2020. Thousands of coastal cities around the world are already dealing with rising sea levels, and face catastrophic sea level rise if global warming triggers runaway ice melt. Wayne Parry/AP hide caption
Australia's Great Barrier Reef has experienced four mass bleaching events in the last seven years, like this one in 2017. Scientists warn repeated bleaching makes it tough for corals to recover. Brett Monroe Garner/Getty Images hide caption
A kayaker paddles down an interstate in Pennsylvania after flooding from Hurricane Ida earlier this year. Several dozen people died, some in cars and basement apartments, during extreme flash flooding. Branden Eastwood/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A fisherman sails with his son in an outrigger. They live in a village on the Willaumez Peninsula on New Britain Island, Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. David Doubilet hide caption
Aerial view of a coral reef area at Playa Blanca, in Portobelo, Colon province, Panama, on April 16, 2021. A massive new report shows that the world's coral reefs are under stress, but could recover if greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced. Luis Acosta/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A satellite image taken Friday shows damage and oil leaking from a terminal on Grand Bahama. The company that owns it says 1.8 million barrels were being stored there when Hurricane Dorian hit late Sunday. Satellite image ©2019 Maxar Technologies hide caption
Diver swimming over Elkhorn Coral in the Florida Keys. Elevated nutrients as well as elevated temperatures are causing a massive loss of this iconic branching species in Florida. JW Porter/University of Georgia hide caption
Fish swim in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Key West just voted to ban the sale of sunscreens with chemicals linked to coral bleaching. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption
Living Coral is the Pantone Color Institute's color of the year for 2019. The vibrant hue represents "the fusion of modern life," the institute explains. Courtesy of Pantone Color Institute hide caption
Rock Islands in Palau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular dive location. Retailers who break the "reef-toxic" sunscreen ban will face fines of $1,000. Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images hide caption
Sunscreens containing minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide reflect the sun's rays away from skin and are a good alternative to chemicals that could be harmful to ocean reefs. Photo illustration by Eslah Attar/NPR hide caption
Diapers, cotton swabs, bottles and wrappers are littering reefs. A new study finds they're causing widespread damage. Michael O'Neill/Science Source hide caption
Corals around the world have been dying because of warming waters and pollution. Some researchers hope they can reverse the trend by growing new corals in the lab. Albert Kok/Wikimedia Commons hide caption