Life Aquatic
According to a survey by the Global Marine Species Assessment, one-third of the more than 700 species of reef building corals are threatened with extinction. Here, Scalefin Anthias swim on a coral reef near Ras Mohammad, Egypt.
Out of His Shell
Overfishing is a big killer of coral. A Giant Green Turtle rests on a reef at a diving site near the island of Sipadan in the Celebes Sea east of Borneo.
Wow Factor
Disease plays a role as well, with whole coral colonies wiped out by sudden sickness, which is linked to warmer sea temperatures caused by climate change. Purple fairy Anthias and Orange Anthias pass through a reef off Viti Levu, Fiji.
Arms Length
A Ribbon Eel pops out of a hiding place in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Look Down to See the Stars
A snorkeler swims above a reef where numerous species of fish, coral and other animals thrive.
School Ties
A group of Slender Pinjalo passes by a coral reef.
Above and Below
A coral reef booms with life off Miyako Island, Okinawa.
Shallow Grave
Divers swim above a bed of dead corals off Malaysia's Tioman Island in the South China Sea.
Murky Future
Coral lies dead on the reefs near Gan, Maldives. According to a study published in Science late last year, if CO2 levels continue to rise, by 2100 coral could be utterly extinct.
