Saving the World’s Coral Reefs
You can call us CORAL!
Our team of passionate conservationists envision a world where coral reefs are healthy enough to adapt to climate change. Science tells us corals are able to adapt, but only if we help them by tackling the root causes of reef decline.
Create well-managed protected areas.
Fish can recover with protection.
By improving enforcement, funding, and planning, we help protected areas deliver real results for reefs, fish populations, and local communities.
Build climate-resilient coral reefs.
Tomorrow’s reefs depend on today’s vision.
By protecting diverse, vast, well-connected reef systems, we help corals share adaptive traits and survive a rapidly changing climate.
Reduce land-based pollution.
Clean water starts on land.
By reducing pollution from sewage, runoff, and development, we help reefs stay healthy, avoid disease, and grow stronger over time.
Influence global conservation.
Local impact, global reach.
By sharing science, shifting policy, and building alliances, we help local conservation efforts grow into global reef-saving movements.
These four strategies help us focus on scalable, sustainable, community-led solutions for the greatest impact.
25%
of all marine life depends
on coral reefs
1B
people depend on coral reefs for food, income, and coastal protection
$375B
in services comes from coral reefs
each year
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What Does El Niño Mean for Coral Reefs?
In 1997-8, a powerful El Niño event spread across the Pacific Ocean, driving record-breaking sea surface temperatures and triggering the first documented global coral bleaching event. Reefs from the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean experienced widespread stress, and in some regions, significant coral mortality followed. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this
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Coral Diversity, Where Adaptation Begins [Photo Gallery]
Think of a coral reef as a bustling city, full of unique homes, buildings, and landscapes. And with that, unique residents who all serve different purposes. This diversity is key to any city. The same is true underwater. The diversity of corals—along with the fish, invertebrates, and algae that live among them—is what keeps reef
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Why Connected Reefs Matter for the Future of Coral Conservation
Coral reefs are facing more pressure than ever, specifically warming oceans, land-based pollution, and overfishing. But despite these growing challenges, reefs still have an incredible capacity to adapt. The key is making sure they’re healthy, connected, and supported at scale. At the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), our conservation strategy focuses on building connected reef networks—large,
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How Coral Adaptation Works and Why It Matters for Reef Survival [Video]
Coral reefs are changing. Warmer oceans, polluted water, and shifting ecosystems are rewriting the conditions reefs have depended on for thousands of years. What often gets lost in that conversation is this: corals are not static and some even have the genetic ability to adapt. At the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), adaptation is not a
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CORAL’s Expansion into the Eastern Caribbean
By Zach Hoffman When I joined the Coral Reef Alliance, I knew our work spanned some of the most important coral reef ecosystems in the world. But knowing that on paper is very different from standing on the shore of one of those places for the first time. My first visit to CORAL’s Eastern Caribbean
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Coral Bleaching Awareness Month is Moving to September
Coral Bleaching Awareness Month is entering a new chapter. For 3 years, this global campaign has helped people understand one of the most visible signs of stress on coral reefs. Now, Coral Bleaching Awareness Month will take place in September, aligning global attention with the time of year when bleaching impacts and reef monitoring are
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How Coral Reef Conservation Delivered Measurable Impact in 2025 [REPORT]
For millions of people around the world and countless species beneath the waves, coral reefs are far more than a tourist destination. They are essential lifelines. Reefs support food systems, protect coastlines, and sustain economies, yet today they face immense pressures that threaten their longevity. In this context, the 2025 Impact Report from the Coral
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From Ridge to Reef, Science to Action Across Maui Nui
Over the past year, we helped transform science into impact, growing research and relationships into measurable, on-the-ground impact. Across Maui Nui, the health of coral reefs begins far upstream. What happens on land—how water moves through wetlands and lo‘i, how coastlines are stewarded and managed, and how communities cherish their resources—directly shapes what reaches the
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Meet Antonella, a Biologist and Diver Shaping the Future of Coral Reefs
Science is at the heart of everything CORAL does, but it only matters if it leads to action. As CORAL continues to strengthen connected reef networks around the world, the role of conservation science has never been more important. That’s where Dr. Antonella-Rivera comes in. At CORAL, she brings clarity, curiosity, and a deeply human
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Why Divers Matter More Than Ever for the Future of Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are changing fast, and the people who spend the most time underwater are often the first to notice. Around the world, divers, snorkelers, and freedivers are witnessing shifts in reef health in real time. Warmer waters. Fewer fish. Algae creeping where corals once thrived. These observations aren’t just anecdotal… They’re invaluable. And they
FEATURED STAFF
Meet Kristin Sherwood
Get to know CORAL’s Strategic Impact Director through her life experiences around the world and her love for the ocean.
