A study in pink

A pink sea fan, or pink gorgonian coral, sways gently in the Bay of Bengal off Saint Martin's Island -- a living lacework of colour and resilience. It thrives in shallow waters, 10–100 metres deep, clinging to rocky reefs across the Indian and Pacific oceans. These soft corals feed by filtering microscopic plankton drifting through the currents. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, they face grave threats from pollution, trawling, and warming seas that trigger mass die-offs. As coral ecosystems worldwide approach a tipping point -- with bleaching, acidification, and rising temperatures ravaging once-vibrant reefs -- protecting them is no longer a choice. It is a shared and urgent duty to keep the oceans alive.
 

PHOTO: SHARIF SARWAR