Barrier reef off Grande Terre, New Caledonia, France

© Karsten Wrobel/Getty Image

Under the sea. World Reef Awareness Day

'Life under the sea is better than anything they got up there,' Sebastian the crab once told Ariel. But are we doing enough to protect that underwater world? On June 1, we celebrate World Reef Awareness Day, a time to recognise the beauty—and fragility—of coral reef ecosystems. One magnificent example is the New Caledonian barrier reef, which wraps around Grande Terre, New Caledonia's largest island. At over 1,400 kilometres long, it's the longest continuous barrier reef in the world.

Glass sponges form rare and remarkable ecosystems found only in select parts of the world. In British Columbia, these reefs thrive in areas like Hecate Strait, Queen Charlotte Sound, the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound—often at depths of 90 to 300 metres, though in Howe Sound they appear as shallow as 22 metres. These towering underwater structures can stretch across hundreds of square kilometres and reach heights of up to 25 metres, creating vital habitats deep beneath the waves.