Tropical ecosystems and, in particular, coral reefs have always, albeit somewhat subconsciously, inspired my love of geography ever since I studied them for my geography GCSE high-school examination in 2011. The colours, biodiversity and complexity of life on the reefs, to me, seem like a wondrous, secret (calcareous) city functioning beneath the ocean’s surface, which only a lucky few humans may be privy to on rare occasions. Despite occupying just 0.2 per cent of the oceans, coral reefs are home to one-third of all marine species, owing to the capacity of key reef structure-building corals to provide numerous hiding places, niches and attachment sites for coral larvae. However, as in many ecosystems, recent global and local disturbances have caused huge changes in coral communities, structural degradation of coral reefs and a subsequent loss of fish life and biodiversity living among the calcareous structures.