Few would connect the bleaching of coral reefs to the spread of a deadly virus. Yet, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa back in 2013, which killed more than 11,000 people, can be traced back, in part, to the slow unravelling of an ecosystem beneath the waves.

Across West Africa’s coastline, coral reefs once thrived as vibrant underwater cities. They sustained fisheries, fed millions, and buffered communities from the forces of the sea. But over decades, overfishing, rising ocean temperatures, and pollution began dismantling this natural foundation. As the reefs died, fish populations plummeted. Coastal families who once depended on........

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