Reefs of Time

What Fossils Reveal about Coral Survival

Lisa S. Gardiner

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Hardback

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English

Princeton University Pres
01 September 2025

Mathematics & Sciences; Geology & the lithosphere; Coral reefs; Environmental science, engineering & technology; The Earth: natural history general

How fossilised reefs hold clues to the survival of corals in the Anthropocene

With rising global temperatures, pollution, overfishing, ocean acidification, and other problems caused by humans, there's no question that today's coral reefs are in trouble. As predictions about the future of these ecosystems grow increasingly dire, scientists are looking in an unlikely place for new ways to save corals: the past. The reefs of yesteryear faced challenges too, from changing sea level to temperature shifts, and understanding how they survived and when they faltered can help guide our efforts to help ensure a future for reefs.

Lisa Gardiner weaves together the latest cutting-edge science with stories of her expeditions to tropical locales to show how fossils and other reef remains offer tantalising glimpses of how corals persisted through time, and how this knowledge can guide our efforts to ensure a future for these remarkable organisms. Gardiner takes readers on an excursion into 'the shallow end of deep time'

when marine life was much like today's yet unaffected by human influence

to explore the cities of fossilised limestone left behind by corals and other reef life millennia ago. The changes in reefs today are unlike anything ever seen before, but the fossil record offers hope that the coral reefs of tomorrow can weather the environmental challenges that lie ahead.

A breathtaking journey of scientific discovery, Reefs of Time reveals how lessons from the past can help us to chart a path forward for coral reefs struggling for survival in an age of climate crisis and mass extinction.

By: Lisa S. Gardiner
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States [Currently unable to ship to USA: see Shipping Info]
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9780691247335
ISBN 10: 0691247331
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 01 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Lisa S. Gardiner is a science writer, geoscientist, and educator. She is the author of Tales from an Uncertain World: What Other Assorted Disasters Can Teach Us about Climate Change. Her writing has appeared in leading publications such as the Atlantic, Hakai Magazine, and Scientific American.

Reviews for Reefs of Time: What Fossils Reveal about Coral Survival

""In an era of widespread coral bleaching and worldwide loss of coral reefs, Gardiner's lessons from the past may help save corals for the future.""---Nancy Bent, Booklist ""A standout contribution to marine literature, offering clarity and hope in the face of one of our era’s most pressing environmental challenges."" * Sevenseas Media * ""Lisa S. Gardiner, in fluid conversational prose, friendly and engaging, examines the prehuman fossil record and reveals what once was and may never be again. . . . This is an important book with a significant message, and dire warnings for a world about to change drastically in the coming decades. Lisa S. Gardiner has done an admirable job in alerting us to impending disaster.""---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds