Coral Reefs on the Brink

Coral reefs cover less than 0.2% of our ocean but host 30% of all marine species.

That's like cramming a third of your entire school into a single classroom. But here's the scary

part: when water heats up just half a degree above normal, corals literally kick out their colorful

algae roommates and turn ghostly white. This bleaching isn't just ugly,

it's deadly. Without those algae producing food through photosynthesis, corals starve within

weeks. Since the 1980s, we've lost 19% of all reefs, and scientists predict

99% could vanish if oceans warm by 2 degrees. These underwater cities took millions

of years to build and protect 150,000 kilometers of coastline from tsunamis and storms.