“While we still have reefs, we still have hope.”

Reefs around the globe are in a pitiable state — one estimate predicts 90% will be dead by 2050 — but “while we still have reefs,” writes journalist Gaia Vince in a new Guardian feature, “we still have hope.” Scientists are preserving and protecting what’s left of these delicate and dwindling ecosystems using techniques including 3D printing and “coral gardening,” a promising method for transplanting healthy corals into damaged parts of reefs.

Many of these efforts to rebuild reefs are also taking into account the well-being of humans who depend…