Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs

I found this book fascinating. I am writing this review from the perspective of an older adult with a long career teaching biology and more recently volunteering with Hawaii Sea Grant and NOAA’s “Eyes of the Reef” monitoring coral spawning events and following individual coral heads after the 2015 major bleaching event. The first few chapters immediately got my attention as they describe the diversity of efforts beyond biology to look at issues facing coral reefs. The author initially focuses on a conference, Reef Futures 2018. This was not the typical scientific conference. In attendance and spearheading the conference were donors, philanthropists, geoengineers — people with “crazy ideas,” energy and money to dedicate to saving coral reefs. The intent was to go beyond the systematic and often plodding scientific method to create action-oriented interventions to rebuild and save reefs. I had no idea of the breadth of efforts aimed at saving reefs and truly appreciate all the descriptions of her adventures as she tries to learn first hand what is being done.Another review was critical of including her daughter’s mental illness. I think this gave reality to what women, especially, face when trying to follow their passionate desire to learn, explore and contribute.The last few chapters try to provide context for coral reef issues by going into climate change and DEI. Should efforts to save and restore reefs receive funds better directed toward climate change mitigation when this is a key factor in reef decline? Does having more diversity in the scientific workforce expand the approaches to solving environmental problems? These are important but maybe overworked topics.My main criticism is that the book did not contain more illustrations. Perhaps that increases the cost, but even vivid descriptions cannot convey the incredible beauty of reefs. And I know there are plenty of people out there willing to contribute amazing photos!Thank you for sharing your experiences. For those interested in coral reefs, this is a good read.

Very interesting and somewhat depressing without being alarmist. It would have been greatly enhanced (and probably more expensive) if there were color pictures of some of the coral that are repeatedly mentioned.

This book is a must-read for any coral fan. Berwald didn’t skimp on the science while somehow making this whole novel so readable I couldn’t put it down—it was propulsive and urgent. While the struggles corals face (due to us, pollution, global warming, etc—Florida has exactly 0 living coral reefs left) are well known, this book wasn’t depressing.Yes, I was breathless during Berwald’s recounting of global bleaching events, (the largest of which you probably missed because it happened in 2020 and pandemic news drown out the loss of a sizeable portion of the world’s coral reefs), but there is always hope lingering in the corners of these pages. The book was an ode to the many people and organizations out there doing cutting edge work on coral restoration, dedicating their lives to ensuring that the world’s most fascinating ecosystems remain.Scientists, locals, and coral hobbyists are studying coral adaptability to rising temperatures (and it turns out a reef I’m about to become very familiar with in a few months lining the Red Sea in Egypt is a keystone reef as it has a high temperature tolerance), how to mitigate post-hurricane damage, how a team of special ops veterans goes out in scuba gear after each hurricane to literally glue coral back into place), how the Mars Corp is literally rebuilding reefs in Indonesia, how others go out daily to treat corals affected stony coral tissue loss disease, how governments are creating debt swaps for conservation and blue bonds, how because coral reefs are “invisible” to most being underwater—how people with VR headsets are showing communities what they have under there in order to stop blast fishing and so on.There are so many examples of hope in here — an absolute MUST READ!

I was skeptical when the book was recommended, BUT I read every page and was really surprised to learn a lot of things that I have never even thought about. Like coral covers less than 1% of the oceans, but supports more than 50% of all life in the sea. It's disappearing at an astounding rate and no-one seems to care except a few scientists. The world needs to know what is happening and we need to put some BIG bucks into research and preservation. Interesting fact that I didn't know - coral is actually an animal not a plant. Buy and read - you will be upset by what is happening right under our noses and no one seems to care very much until it will be too late.

This book follows Juli Berwald's journey through her understanding of corals and the impacts humans have had on coral reefs and the environment as a whole. This book gets into biological details or evolution and biological mechanisms, but is also digestible to someone not too familiar with the wonderful animal known as coral. Alongside Berwald's marine stories, she shares her journey as a mother of a teenaged daughter going through a difficult time.I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of this. There were some later chapters in which I found myself spacing out and not paying as much attention, but that was usually in the fine details. I like the pairing of her personal and professional life to tell a full story.I give this book a 4/5. It's hopeful while still being realistic. I will read more books from this author.

This book is as good as Juli's first book on Jellyfish. The danger our coral reefs are in from climate change is frequently talked about but not as clearly and in the detail that is covered in this book. Although readable for non-scientists there is a great deal of information and wonderful descriptions that bring you right under the sea! Although the topic can be sad the author has provided hope for the future. A great read!