Paradise in peril

By Lisa Hendry

Coral reefs teem with life, colour and beauty. They support a quarter of all marine life. But not all is well in paradise.

Like any ecosystem, coral reefs can withstand and adapt to certain impacts. But the combination of multiple stresses of global changes in ocean temperature and acidification, with local pressures such as pollution, overfishing and declining water quality, has led to changes that could become irreversible within the next few decades.

We asked contributors to our 2015 exhibition Coral Reefs: Secret Cities of the Sea, to share their passion for this underwater utopia and their hopes and fears for its future.

You can help

Small changes can make a big difference. Find out how you can help the planet.

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Anthropocene

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