“Nusa Penida, Indonesia is famous for manta rays and mola mola, but did you know that it also boasts some of the healthiest and most spectacular hard coral gardens on the planet? One of the most important geological factors making this possible is the role and impact of the impressive Lombok Strait. The Lombok Strait is deep, more than 250 meters, and accounts for approximately 20% of the water movement of the Indonesian Throughflow, bringing water from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. In addition to bringing plankton as a food source for coral and fish, this current helps sweep out sewage, pollution, and runoff from humans, allowing coral habitat to remain a place where reefs can survive and even thrive, unlike so many other places on the planet where human impact is destroying them. The colder water also makes bleaching less common and adds to the resilience of these reefs. Penida is a place we need to study and protect. As coral reef ecosystems collapse around the world, Nusa Penida...