Bleached Reef

Coral reefs have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet, but 75% of the remaining reefs in our oceans are threatened, and projections indicate that all will be lost by the end of the century if we don't take immediate action on climate change! That's less than 79 years from now!!! "Bleached Reef," depicts the disruption of the symbiotic relationship between microalgae and coral that results in the reefs appearing bleached. Even 1+ degree of temperature change can result in this bleaching, and if the temperature increase is too high for too long, the coral can't recover. Over the last 30 years, bleaching has become more intense and widespread, leading to massive coral die offs around the world. This small quilt is a reminder and challenge for each of us to make the small changes in our daily lives that can add up to protection of coral reefs worldwide...green transportation, energy efficiency, climate-friendly food consumption, and reduced plastic use.