Dr Roger Bradbury, one of the world’s leading coral reef scientists, has written an article published in the New York Times describing the tragic decline, and even demise, which he believes will happen to the coral reefs of the world. His view is very widely held amongst coral reef scientists. This article illustrates just how important the Chagos Marine Reserve is, not only as a refuge but as a laboratory for the sort of research which needs to be continued and expanded with the aim of trying to prevent the total collapse that Bradbury suggests will happen if we don’t do enough to prevent it. You can read the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/opinion/a-world-without-coral-reefs.html?_r=3&hpw