This underwater photo taken in the Maldives on September 26, 2024 shows hard corals and a bleached branch coral (C) surrounded by fish. A global coral bleaching event that began in 2023 has quickly grown to the largest on record, according to a US agency, with the impacted reef area continuing to grow. This includes locations in the northern and southern hemisphere of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (Photo by Sarah LAI / AFP)