WIRED Staff
Science

Slideshow: Good Grief! Dwindling Coral Reefs

Scientists study a coral reef off the coast of Florida, hoping to discover new ways to protect worldwide coral populations from the predicted 40 percent decimation by 2010. By Julia Scheeres.
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Elkhorn coral and a clubtip finger coral in the foreground.Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA

See related story: Good Grief! Dwindling Coral Reefs

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Pillar coral.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/Commander William Harrigan, NOAA Corps (ret.)
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Aquarius is an underwater ocean laboratory located in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The lab is deployed next to coral reefs three and half miles offshore, at a depth of 60 feet. Scientists live in Aquarius during ten-day missions using saturation diving to study and explore our coastal ocean.

UNCW/Mark Ward
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A knobby purple sea rod.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA
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A closeup of a cavernous star coral (Montastrea cavernosa).

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA
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A spotted cleaner shrimp on pink-tipped anemones.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA
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Brown tube sponges.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA
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A reticulated brittle star on brain coral.

Larry Zetwoch/Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary/NOAA