Coral scientists argue that art and science can work together to raise public awareness and drive conservation efforts for threatened coral reef ecosystems, according to a research article published in Science Advances. The authors contend that artists can illuminate coral fragility and nature's resilience, making what is often an invisible underwater world visible and accessible to the public.
"Artistic interventions can render the largely unseen underwater world into something visible and accessible," the authors note. "When paired with scientific data, interactive design, and clear calls to action, coral-inspired art installations in cities worldwide can amplify public understanding and galvanize support." Music, dance, film and visual art can help draw attention to corals, the researchers argue, though many conservation initiatives remain local or disconnected from one another.
Monica Medina, a biology professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, offered an example of how local art can gain broader reach. She worked with Jalimer, a Champeta musician from Colombia, to create a song addressing environmental concerns. The Colombian ministry of environment invited Jalimer to perform at the COP16 biodiversity conference in 2024. Medina told Mongabay that while the song had limited local impact, a larger music movement on the topic could have remarkable conservation effects.
Leanne Hepburn, a coral biologist and environmental literacy expert not affiliated with the article, said the research "recognizes, perhaps finally, that communicating the coral reef crisis needs more than scientific evidence and papers." However, she cautioned against assuming that awareness automatically leads to action. "An important next step for this work is understanding how art–science collaborations can translate into greater ocean literacy and participation, for whom, and under what circumstances," Hepburn said.
