Coral reefs across the Caribbean have deteriorated at an alarming pace over the past decade, with unprecedented bleaching events threatening to collapse one of the planet’s richest and most vital ecosystems. This special series —produced by journalists from across the region— explores the human cost of this silent crisis, the solutions still clinging to life underwater, and the political and financial roadblocks that could strip the Caribbean of its most valuable natural defense.

From the waters of Guadeloupe to laboratories in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and through coastal communities in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, the series documents not only the cascading consequences of this crisis, but also the efforts to save what remains. With stories of scientists testing bold new technologies, fishers facing dwindling catches, and island governments scrambling to preserve critical funding, Corals: The Caribbean’s Silent Disaster offers a deep and urgent look at a region fighting for its future beneath the sea.

The journalists who participated in the project are Freeman Rogers of The BVI Beacon (British Virgin Islands), Jean-Michel Hauteville, Krista Campbell (Television Jamaica), Yaneris Soto-Muñiz, Suzanne Carlson (The Virgin Islands Daily News) and Sara Kirkpatrick (The Virgin Islands Daily News) in collaboration with the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. Mariela Mejía of Diario Libre (Dominican Republic) also collaborated on the project.

The project was overseen by Noel Algarín-Martínez, editor at the CPI.

This reporting was made possible in part thanks to support from Open Society Foundations.