How do we conceive of coral as a life form? What does it mean to read in an archive signs of its impending destruction? During Unearthing the Present, scientists, researchers, and artists undertook a close reading of coral samples from the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. These samples—from West Flower Garden Bank Reef (Gulf of Mexico, USA) and Flinders Reef (Coral Sea, Australia)—have recorded a variety of anthropogenic signals, including ocean warming and the impacts of offshore oil extraction. The changing climate, which is so accurately recorded by coral reefs, increasingly leads to their demise. West Flower Garden Bank Reef and Flinders Reef are two of twelve sites across the globe explored by geologists looking for traces of human impact on the planet. Read our online guide The Geological Anthropocene for more information and to explore the other sites.