.

These human-assisted habitats act like defibrillation paddles, revving up struggling reefs and reviving declining fish populations from Florida to Indonesia and beyond.

The Living Oceans Foundation's Global Reef Expedition aims to discover how coral reefs across the world are faring in today’s changing ocean climate, and what can be done to help corals survive in the warmer, more acidic oceans of the future.

Dive Tribe founder Gwyn Mills agging sharks, placing mooring balls and sinking artificial reefs in his beloved Thailand keeps our May 2013 Sea Hero busy.

Photographer and surveyor Jonathan Lavan was recognized this spring as the [REEF](http://reef.org/) 2012 Volunteer of the Year for his work surveying fish and teaching REEF’s online webinars, called [fishinars](http://reef.org/resources/fishinars).

Getting mantas protected under [CITES](http://www.projectaware.org/update/we-did-it-celebrating-historic-decisions-sharks-and-rays) was a historic milestone for manta conservation, but Project AWARE isn't stopping there. Check out Project AWARE’s infographic, _Manta and Devil Rays at Risk_, learn more and find out what you can do to help.

How much do you know about whale sharks? Scuba Diving magazine and Shark Savers bring you top facts about whale sharks, their conservation status and where to find them. Snorkelers can swim with these gentle giants in Mexico, Tonga and more! Want more facts about sharks and underwater photography? Go to scubadiving.com.

Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)

•Conservation status: IUCN Red Listed as Near Threatened

•In Hawaiian culture this shark is sometimes referred to as Niuhi, a ferocious shark of legend.

Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)

•Conservation status: IUCN Red Listed as ‘Vulnerable’ and recently listed on CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) Appendix II, restricting the international trade of this species.

•These sharks are often referred to as ‘oceanics’ or OWTs by researchers and photographers.