When the devastating tsunami struck the Indian Ocean in December 2004, the UN Atlas of the Oceans called for long term ecological research to assess the impact. In only one year, we have the first report on the impact of the tsunami on coral reefs in the entire region, by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network in partnership with Reef Check, ReefBase and the CORDIO (Coral Reef Degradation in the Indian Ocean) Program. The report, a regional overview including socio-economic impacts, was published by AIMS in Townsville, Australia, and released 20 February 2006 in Phuket, Thailand.