Corals Coral reefs took their second-worst beating on record in 2010, thanks to record or near-record high summer water temperatures over much of the planet's tropical oceans. This photograph shows bleached coral (foreground) in Indonesia's Wakatobi archipelago, a thriving marine paradise, packing a bewildering abundance of life that supports 100,000 people and contributes millions of dollars to Indonesia's economy. Last year, coral bleaching caused by higher sea temperatures wreaked havoc across the Coral Triangle, a region of rich tropical reefs spanning much of south-east Asia and almost all of Indonesia. Up to 70% of the coral in Wakatobi, off the south-eastern tip of Sulawesi island, was totally or partially bleached

Photograph: Rod Salm/AFP/Getty Images