The ring-shaped coral islands known as atolls, like this one in the Maldives Islands in the Indian Ocean, may trace their formation to sea levels repeatedly rising and falling over hundreds of ...

While many Indonesian reefs have remained surprisingly stable despite decades of ocean warming, this resilience has its ...

Most coral reefs will soon stop growing and may begin to erode—and almost all will do so if global warming hits 2°C, according to a new study in the western Atlantic. An international team, led by ...

Coral reefs, the "rainforests of the sea," provide habitats for 25% of all marine life. Critical to global biodiversity, they are essential for food supply, culture and recreation and coastal ...

Coral reefs, once thriving underwater cities teeming with life, now face an unprecedented crisis. Scientists have declared that coral reefs have become the first major environmental system on Earth to ...

Tropical coral reefs cover less than 1% of the seafloor, yet support 25% of all marine species. They are also incredibly vulnerable. Over the past few decades, an estimated 30%-50% have already been ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Emese Maczko is a travel writer covering sustainable travel. Island tourism in destinations like the Maldives, Bahamas and ...

Mass coral bleaching occurs when unusually warm ocean temperatures disrupt the partnership between corals and the microscopic algae that supply most of their energy, leaving corals weakened and often ...

Beneath the beauty of coral reefs lies a hidden universe of microbes unlike anything scientists expected. Each coral species supports its own specialized microbial partners, many of which have never ...