The water level in the fish can teeters at the brim, a precarious balance between containment and overflow. A handful of koi remain, brandishing their flags like lifelines amidst a sea of turbulence, fighting the impending embrace of submersion. Some are barely visible, with only their open mouths and the desperate dance of escaping bubbles marking their presence.

The koi that lay outside the can represent the Pacific States, echoing the imminent threat they face from the encroaching sea levels. Each fish, a silent testament to the looming danger borne from the rising tides.