We are standing at a tipping point – but we also stand at the edge of a powerful opportunity. The same science that warns us also guides us. Coral reefs have not given up – and neither should we.
The recent Global Tipping Points Report paints a sobering picture: warm-water coral reefs, lifelines for nearly a billion people and home to a quarter of all marine species, are passing a dangerous threshold. As the planet warms, these vibrant ecosystems are experiencing widespread bleaching and dieback.
But this is not the end.
Yes, coral reefs are at risk – but not all is lost. Across the globe, pockets of reef resilience still exist. Refuges of life, biodiversity, and beauty persist in the face of mounting pressures. These surviving ecosystems are proof of nature’s resilience and our opportunity to conserve, protect and restore.
This moment demands not despair, but mobilisation.
Coral reefs support fisheries, protect coastlines from storms, and fuel livelihoods and economies. Their loss would be catastrophic – but their survival is still possible with urgent global action, smart conservation, and local leadership.
What we do today will shape whether these ecosystems remain a part of our shared future. We must push harder than ever to reverse warming, eliminate other human pressures like overfishing and pollution, and champion local and Indigenous knowledge in reef protection.
A Call to Hope: Share Your Reef Story
We know that hope is a powerful driver of action. ICRI is calling on the global reef community – divers, researchers, conservationists, governments, local communities and youth – to help us shift the narrative from despair to determination.
- Do you have photos or videos of thriving coral reefs?
- Are you working to protect a reef system showing resilience?
- Can you help show the world that vibrant underwater cities teeming with life still exist beneath the waves-and are worth fighting for?
Please share your stories, images and footage of healthy reefs, community conservation, or glimpses of coral recovery, including the necessary accreditation.
Ahead of Coral Bleaching Awareness month in November, let us flood social media and news feeds with the vision of what we are fighting to save.
Please use the hashtag #HopeForCoral and tag the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) on LinkedIn and in communications.
Your content may be featured in upcoming campaigns leading to COP30 and UNEA to remind the world: There is still time – and there is still hope.
