Today is World Reef Day. Coral reefs cover <1% of the ocean floor, yet support about 25% of all marine species. Approximately 500 million people rely on reefs for food, income, and coastal protection. The ongoing 2023–2025 global coral bleaching event has affected about 84% of the world's coral reef ecosystems, largely due to rising ocean temperatures. Only about 8% of the ocean is currently protected, with effective protection under 3%. Coral reefs are not only ecological zones, but also ancestral homelands, food sources, and sacred relatives for many Pacific Islander cultures. In Hawaiian cosmology, for example, coral (limu) is considered the first life form from which other beings emerged. Throughout Oceania, corals are integrated into stories of origin, navigation, and ceremony. Indigenous practices like ra’ui (community-based marine closures in the Cook Islands) or kapu (Hawaiian sacred restrictions) exemplify deeply relational and effective reef stewardship. When colonial power...