image: Coral community in the marine protected area at Heron Island, southern Great Barrier Reef. Coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef are wonderfully diverse and productive habitats, important to both tourism and fisheries. Large predatory fish, such as those seen here with the diver, perform important ecological roles on coral reefs, and important as a source of food to many millions of people in tropical regions. This image relates to article that appeared in the Dec. 14, 2007 issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. The study, by O. Hoegh-Guldberg at University of Exeter in Exeter, UK, was titled "Coral Reefs Under Rapid Climate Change and Ocean Acidification." view more
Credit: Image courtesy of <i>Science</I>/AAAS