The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

of corals.”
Later that night, some of the other researchers at Heron Island,
including the graduate students who were trying to weld together the
overdue mesocosm, heard that Ward’s corals were getting ready to spawn
and organized a nocturnal snorkel. This was a much more elaborate affair
than the snorkeling trips at One Tree, complete with wet suits and
underwater lights. There wasn’t enough equipment for everyone to go at
once, so we went in two shifts. I was in the first, and initially I was
disappointed, because nothing seemed to be happening. Then, after a
while, I noticed a few corals releasing their bundles. Almost immediately,
countless others followed. The scene resembled a blizzard in the Alps,
only in reverse. The water filled with streams of pink beads floating
toward the surface, like snow falling upward. Iridescent worms appeared
to eat the bundles, producing an eerie glow, and a slick of mauve began to
form on the surface. When my shift was over, I reluctantly climbed out of
the water and handed over my light.