Photo: Fiona Tung

Coral reefs have become a focus for observation and study due to their economic and ecological importance and sensitivity to warming ocean temperatures.

At a time when climate change is increasingly difficult to ignore, its devastating effects on our environment and ecosystems are becoming more apparent.

“30 per cent of all of the ocean species have a home in coral reefs,” explained Dr. Emily S. Darling, a Banting Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an Associate Conservation Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Marine Program. “They are also incredibly important for society, so half a billion people on the planet who live in the tropics depend on coral reefs for food security, their livelihood, coastal protection and cultural practices.”