Reef Life Explorer

Reef Life Explorer is an interactive platform exploring the health of thousands of reefs worldwide. As part of the Reef Life Survey Program, hundreds of citizen science divers take to the ocean to measure and record the state of global reef ecosystems.

Sites visited

Surveys undertaken

18,000,000+

Animals counted

4,800+

Species recorded

Our Changing Reefs

Reefs are underwater cities, teeming with a diversity of life unmatched anywhere in the ocean. They are intrinsically, socially and economically valuable – supporting the wellbeing and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.

Our reefs are under increasing pressure from coastal development, seafood consumption, recreation and human-induced climate change. These factors are driving dramatic shifts that are largely out of sight – below the surface.

Reef Life Explorer makes this underwater world visible – allowing us to better understand global reef conditions and make informed, collective decisions that help protect and regenerate these vital ecosystems.

Our reefs are under increasing pressure from coastal development, seafood consumption, recreation and human-induced climate change. These factors are driving dramatic shifts that are largely out of sight – below the surface.

Monitoring Reef Health

To ensure our reefs thrive now and into the future, we need to track how reef life responds to environmental and human pressures. This requires ecological indicators that provide meaningful measures of change. Just as blood pressure and body temperature reflect our own health, these indicators reflect reef health. They distil complex interactions between marine species, allowing us to create trend-lines and map the condition of reef ecosystems over time.

Large Reef Fish

An abundance of large reef fish is a sign of good reef health while low or declining populations highlight the growing impacts of fishing.

Shark & Ray Density

Sharks and rays are plentiful in healthy reef systems. They are highly vulnerable to exploitation and are often the first species to be removed, signalling a reef under pressure.

Habitat Cover

Coverage of habitat, whether living corals or a rich canopy of seaweed, directly coincides with an abundance of marine species and overall reef health.

Reef Fish Thermal Index

Changes in ocean temperature can drastically alter the conditions of a reef, affecting which marine species and how many of them can thrive there.

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