Today, on World Ocean Day, we celebrate the incredible beauty and importance of our oceans — but celebration must go hand in hand with responsibility.

The future of our reefs depends not just on governments and institutions, but on the powerful alliance between scientists and hobbyists. Together, we hold the tools, knowledge, and passion needed to protect and restore marine ecosystems.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: misinformation is still slipping through the cracks — even from respected foundations.

Only recently, claims about soft coral growth rates in painted a bleak picture, citing figures that are wildly detached from what many of us know to be true. Whether it’s unintentional error or used as a scare tactic, misleading the public does more harm than good. It erodes trust, confuses action, and clouds the real progress being made.

So today, I’m calling for:

✅ Truth over ego

✅ Collaboration over division

✅ Shared knowledge over siloed data

Let’s build a bridge between research and real-world experience. Let’s amplify facts, not fear. And let’s unite to bring our oceans back to life — together.

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