It all fits together like parts of a clock. Every species plays a different role on the reef—some are reef builders, others eat old coral, some fish service other fish, some control algae growth, scavengers clean up after others, large predators keep small fish in check.

Can you see the school of barracuda?

Niue has protected 40% of its exclusive economic zone from fishing, mining and other forms of extraction. But that vast area needs management, and enforcement, which is a challenge for one of the world’s smallest states. New Zealand, which has much greater resources, currently protects 0.7% of our EEZ.

As the climate warms, the ocean will absorb a quarter of the energy. Warmer sea leads to coral bleaching, destroying entire reefs at once, and eventually to ocean acidification, which slows coral growth and more than halves coral distribution.