reefs

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Coral reefs, those vibrant underwater cities, stand on the precipice of collapse. While rising ocean temperatures and coral bleaching grab headlines, a new essay in Current Biology reveals a hidden layer of complexity in this fight for survival: the often-overlooked roles of the reefs’ smallest inhabitants. Scientists have long understood the

NOAA Coral Reef Watch version 3.1 data as annual plots (1985–2023) of the daily percentage of ocean pixels with Degree Heating Weeks (DHW) ≥ 4 (when coral bleaching is likely to occur) for latitude 5° S to 30° N and longitude 60° W to 105° W (study region displayed in map inset). Note that around