The 13th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) is held every four years and is the main international meeting focused on coral reef science and management. The theme for the 13th symposium is “Bridging Science to Policy”. More than 2000 coral reef scientists, policy makers, and managers from 70 nations are expected to attend this year. ICRS provides a forum to present the latest research, case histories, and management activities, and to discuss how to apply scientific knowledge to achieve coral reef sustainability.