From Existence to Extinction

Alp Can

A Photographic Odyssey of the Rise and Fall of Coral Reefs on Our Planet

Life began in the sea, a primordial cradle where the first traces of biology took form. Around 500 million years ago, the earliest aquatic organisms emerged, inscribing the blueprint of evolution into salt and water. Modern corals appeared some 220 million years ago and since then have built entire underwater cities. These structures support over a quarter of all marine biodiversity, while occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor.

Their formations are masterpieces of nature, alive with colour and constant movement. Reefs shelter thousands of species in a finely tuned balance, creating interdependent worlds beneath the waves. For millennia, reefs flourished in quiet resilience, adapting to Earth’s tides, tectonic shifts, and time.

In little more than a century, humanity has disrupted what nature took millions of years to create. Industrial activity, pollution, climate change, and overfishing have combined into a single, accelerating threat. Coral bleaching, acidification, and mass die-offs are now urgent planetary warnings.

We now stand at a crucial threshold. Forecasts suggest that between 2040 and 2060, nearly 12,000 marine species could be lost forever. Coral reefs, once symbols of resilience, may soon exist only in memory. With their disappearance, the ocean’s vibrant pulse may fade into silence—unless we choose to act.

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