Global coral collapse a neglected crisis

Before the crack of dawn on Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand, Somsak Chaisri paddles his wooden boat over waters that used to shimmer with life.

- Imran Khalid

A once-vibrant coral garden below the water surface now consists of dead skeleton-like structures. According to this fisherman, the bleached coral skeletons are the only things he pulls from the water after his father showed him how to fish in living coral reefs. “Now, I drag up ghosts)” he murmured. His lament echoes across the tropics. From the Maldives to Mozambique, the once-thriving reefs of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans are being scoured of life.

The ongoing coral bleaching event — silently unfolding since early 2023 — has affected 84% of the planet's reefs, including vital Thai marine ecosystems according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)

Coral Reef Watch. The scope is unprecedented. The damage, incalculable. And yet, the reaction from the global political class has been, at best, an ambient hum of concern. During the June 2025 Bonn climate talks, marine ecosystems received almost no discussion despite affecting a billion people from Koh Tao to the Polynesian island nation of Tuvalu whose survival depends on these delicate underwater ecosystems.

Marine biodiversity has faced its worst-ever loss in recorded history since early 2023 due to the ongoing coral bleaching crisis. Koh Tao's formerly vibrant reefs, along with Indonesia's Coral Triangle and the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are experiencing complete coral ecosystem collapse. Coral reefs serve as fundamental supporting structures which maintain the coastal environment. Reefs shield coastal areas from storm events and connect marine food sources while supporting economic development throughout Phuket and the Maldives.