How two Australian sisters channeled their love of STEM and coral reefs into the most glorious participatory art project.

Jason deCaires Taylor casts giant cement sculptures that weigh thousands of pounds — and then sinks them into the ocean. His idea: to create a unique underwater gallery that algae, corals and other sea creatures can call home.

Human beings have created a whole load of problems in the oceans. Sadly, though, they usually don’t want to hear about them. Last month, a group of ocean scientists and activists brainstormed ways to make the seas sound as amazing as they are. Check out new tools, studies and discoveries that could spark positive curiosity and empathy.

Each year in September, corals in the Caribbean stage a mass spawning event. Witnessing it, says marine biologist and TED Fellow Kristen Marhaver, is like swimming inside a snow globe. Here, she explains how corals beget corals — and how she and her fellow scientists are trying to help them along.