Ben Henley was 7 years old when he first saw a coral reef. His father had taken him snorkeling. They swam down into the Coral Sea. That’s off the east coast of Australia. Henley and his dad explored the Great Barrier Reef. It’s one of Earth’s most amazing natural wonders.

“It’s such a huge and beautiful place,” says Henley. He is now a scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,400 miles along the ocean floor. It’s the largest system of coral reefs in the world. It’s so big that it can be seen from space. But it’s in danger of disappearing. 

The Coral Sea is warmer than it has been in 400 years. That’s according to a study released in August. Henley was one of the authors of the study. The warm water is putting the Great Barrier Reef at risk. And it’s not the only reef that’s in danger. 

“All coral reefs around the world are in trouble from climate change,” says Henley.

Ben Henley was 7 years old when he first saw a coral reef. His dad had taken him snorkeling. They were in the Coral Sea. That’s off the east coast of Australia. Henley and his dad explored the Great Barrier Reef. It’s one of Earth’s most amazing natural wonders.

“It’s such a huge and beautiful place,” says Henley. He is now a scientist. He works at the University of Melbourne. That’s in Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef is more than 1,400 miles long. It’s the world’s largest system of coral reefs. It’s so big it can be seen from space. But it’s in danger of disappearing.

The Coral Sea is warmer than it has been in 400 years. That’s according to a study released in August. Henley was one of the authors of the study. The warm water is putting the Great Barrier Reef at risk. And it’s not the only reef that’s in danger. 

“All coral reefs around the world are in trouble from climate change,” says Henley.

Coral reefs are found in every ocean in the world. They cover only about 1 percent of the ocean floor. But these reefs are home to one-quarter of all underwater species. Everything from huge sharks to tiny fish lives in coral reefs.

Corals look like plants. But they’re tiny animals that live in huge colonies. Their hard outer skeletons form reefs. Healthy corals come in every color of the rainbow. Corals get their colors from small plantlike organisms called algae. Algae also make food for corals. 

When oceans get too warm, corals release algae. Then the corals turn white. This process is called coral bleaching. It can kill corals. A study done in April showed that more than 70 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has been affected by bleaching. Some corals can recover as waters cool in the winter. But not all do.

“In the future, there will probably be fewer places for fish and other animals to live,” Henley says.

Coral reefs are in every ocean. They cover only about 1 percent of the ocean floor. But they are home to a quarter of all underwater species. That includes everything from huge sharks to tiny fish. 

Corals look like plants. But they’re actually tiny animals. They live in huge colonies. Their hard outer skeletons form reefs. Healthy corals come in every color of the rainbow. Corals get their colors from algae. Algae are small plantlike organisms. They also make food for corals. 

When oceans get too warm, corals release algae. Then the corals turn white. This process is called coral bleaching. It can kill corals. More than 70 percent of the Great Barrier Reef has been affected by bleaching. That’s according to a study done in April. Some corals can get better as waters cool in the winter. But not all do.

“In the future, there will probably be fewer places for fish and other animals to live,” Henley says.

Scientists are racing to protect reefs. For instance, they are working to develop corals that might be able to live at higher temperatures.

Henley wants the Great Barrier Reef to be around for future generations.

“Everything we can do to slow climate change will help the coral reefs,” he says. “And that is a very good thing.”

Scientists are racing to protect reefs. For instance, they are trying to develop corals that could live at higher temperatures.

Henley wants the Great Barrier Reef to exist for future generations.

“Everything we can do to slow climate change will help the coral reefs,” he says. “And that is a very good thing.”