What are coral reefs?
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OceansSounds of the reef
Coral reefs can be very noisy, as this recording from the Great Barrier Reef reveals. But why does it sound like frying bacon?
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OceansUnlocking the secrets of coral spawning
Witness one of nature's most elusive wonders - the synchronised mass spawning of corals.
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Oceans
Corals: up close and personal
Glimpse some of the beautiful coral specimens in our collection and explore why coral diversity is important.
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Oceans
Corals: builders of the reef
Glimpse the extraordinary lives of corals.
Coral reef bleaching
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OceansCoral reefs: Lessons from the past
Find out how Dr Ken Johnson is using 12-million-year-old fossil corals to hunt for clues about the future of our reefs.
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OceansHighlighting coral reefs at risk
What can antique corals reveal about the impact of climate change on the ocean?
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Anthropocene
Caribbean coral crusaders
Caribbean reefs are among the most damaged in the world. Find out how young people in the Bahamas are taking action.
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Anthropocene
Paradise in peril
Coral reef research and conservation experts share their passion, hopes and fears for this underwater paradise.
Read more
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AnthropoceneThe resilient coral reefs surviving ocean warming
Ocean warming is threatening coral reefs but some reefs are surviving the warming waters and offer hope for these vital ecosystems.
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NewsCoral reefs cover more of Earth’s surface than realised, new estimates reveal
Satellite images have revealed a missing 64,000 square kilometres of coral cover, an area similar to the size of Ireland.
13 February 2024 -
OceansSea cucumbers: Weird and wacky natural recyclers
From the headless chicken monster to anal teeth, discover the curious world of sea cucumbers.
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NewsInvasive rats are affecting the behaviour of algae-farming fish
Invasive rats are devastating tropical islands, with effects reaching far beyond the land.
5 January 2023 -
NewsAncient shipwreck reveals 'ecological memory' of reefs
An ancient battle fought thousands of years ago has provided an oasis of life on the wrecks it left behind.
23 December 2021 -
NewsCoral reefs at risk of being wiped out in western Indian Ocean
Some of the world's most picturesque coral reefs are at risk of being wiped out in the next 50 years.
8 December 2021 -
NewsOver half of coral reef cover across the world has been lost since 1950
Coral reefs have declined by over half since the 1950s as they suffer from the effects of climate change and overfishing.
26 September 2021 -
NewsWhy the Coral Triangle is the most important part of the ocean
It's the most diverse part of the ocean, but plenty of people have never heard of it.
28 March 2018 -
Oceans
Highlighting coral reefs at risk
What can antique corals reveal about the impact of climate change on the ocean?
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Oceans
Corals: up close and personal
Glimpse some of the beautiful coral specimens in our collection and explore why coral diversity is important.
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CollectionsCharles Darwin's coral conundrum
Darwin’s first scientific theory wasn’t about evolution, but how coral reefs form around the world.
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Oceans
Join a dive to see the largest corals on Earth
Follow the Catlin Seaview Survey team in American Samoa as they dive in search of Big Momma, the world's largest recorded coral.
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Oceans
Sounds of the reef
Coral reefs can be very noisy, as this recording from the Great Barrier Reef reveals. But why does it sound like frying bacon?
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Oceans
Why are coral reefs so important?
Discover some of the huge benefits they provide humans and other life on Earth in our infographic video.
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Anthropocene
Paradise in peril
Coral reef research and conservation experts share their passion, hopes and fears for this underwater paradise.
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Oceans
The smart, the strange and the dangerous: life on a coral reef
When you live in a secret city of the sea, it’s important to keep your wits about you…
