Coral Reefs on the Brink

Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean but house one third of all marine species.

Think of them as underwater rainforests built by tiny animals over millions of years.

Here's the wild part: corals aren't just animals, they're superorganisms. Inside their tissues

live millions of microscopic algae that act like solar panels, converting sunlight

into food. This partnership is so efficient that corals can thrive in nutrient-poor

waters. But when water temperature rises just one degree above normal, this ancient relationship

collapses. The coral literally expels its algae roommates in a panic response,

turning bone white. Without their food source, corals starve. Since the 1980s,