Fluoresce

"This is the most beautiful transformation in nature. The incredibly beautiful phase of death. This is going on and no one is noticing. And it feels as if it’s the corals saying: Look at me. Please notice."

Richard Vevers | Chasing Coral

This sculpture of a fluorescing staghorn coral aims to highlight the critical threat of climate change to our oceans. Coral reefs, vital to marine ecosystems & all life on earth, are bleaching due to rising sea temperatures. In a final desperate act of survival some corals fluoresce, producing chemical sunscreens in stunning neon colors to protect themselves from the heat — an indicator that we’ve reached a tipping point for the planet.

From 2014 - 2017 the most severe bleaching event on record occurred, with 75% of coral reefs suffering or dying due to heat stress from climate change.

Experts warn that without action, by 2034 there will be severe bleaching events every year, and by the end of the century every reef in the world will bleach.

Film stills from Chasing Coral documentary.