Something fishy going on

A new underwater photography book highlights the beauty and fragility of our oceans

Stretching from Indonesia and the Philippines to Papua New Guinea, the Coral Triangle is the most diverse marine area on the planet. Its extraordinarily rich waters are home to almost a third of the world’s coral, as well as thousands of species of marine life – from little clownfish like this one to the whale sharks that breed here.

Photographer Chris Leidy has captured the silent, vibrant magic of this underwater wonderland in a beautiful new book. Conservationist and aquanaut Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques, writes in the book’s introduction: “When I was a young boy, one of the biggest privileges in my life was to dive the coral reef of Papua New Guinea, an important axis of the Coral Triangle. The region is a fireworks display of life. The corals are vibrantly coloured – a dazzlingly bright rainbow – with sea life at every turn. It is absolutely awe-inspiring.’

It is also resilient, he says, adapting to the effects of climate change better than many reefs “because its coral species developed over millions of years in waters that have always been warm”.

Conservation organisations and governments are working to safeguard this region. But our oceans are in crisis, and more urgent action is needed if we are to protect our fragile reefs and marine ecosystems on which we depend.

“Even in the midst of environmental despair, the Coral Triangle shows us what a healthy reef system can be,” writes Cousteau. “It stands as a living monument to what we need to protect and restore elsewhere.”

by Chris Leidy is out now (£70, assouline.com)