A mother breastfeeds her daughter in a coral reef at low tide in Surigao del Norte, Philippines. Commonly overlooked is the vital role women play in fisherfolk communities. Contrary to popular belief, women actually do fish: although it is usually men who go out on the boats, women fisherfolk contribute significantly to their families' sustenance and income, not just by mending nets and cooking, but by actively foraging for shellfish and other food along the shore at low tide, or else managing the family's shrimp or fish ponds. Furthermore, NGOs have realized that social programs including livelihood development are much more successful when they empower and target the women in these fisherfolk communities, as women usually are responsible for managing the finances and requirements of a household. While coral reefs do not store carbon as is commonly misbelieved (they actually release carbon), they help protect coastal communities, like the one to which this woman belongs, from climate-related disasters such as tsunamis, rising sea levels, and increasingly volatile typhoons. They are the vital foundation of coastal communities and marine ecosystems, both: coral reefs don't just sustain coastal fisherfolk communities, they are also crucial spawning grounds for the world's fish populations.