A coral reef is a colony of hundreds of thousands of individual animals called coral polyps. KINGSTON, Jamaica — In an effort to prevent further degradation of Jamaica’s coral reefs, the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) launched its inaugural “Coral Reef Awareness Month” in September 2025. According to NEPA, coral, known as the “rainforest of the sea”, is increasingly vulnerable to ocean warming, pollution and disease. Some 30 scientists and divers from NEPA and partner entities took to the seas for nightly dives to document coral spawning. The data also serves as a guide for restoration planning and coral reef management and will inform future policy.