The coral polyps animals provide the algae plants a home, and in exchange the algae provide the polyps with food they generate through photosynthesis.
Because photosynthesis requires sunlight, most reef-building corals live in clear, shallow waters that are penetrated by sunlight. The algae also give a coral its color; coral polyps are actually transparent, so the color of the algae inside the polyps show through. Coral reefs provide habitat for a large variety of marine life, including various sponges, oysters, clams, crabs, sea stars, sea urchins, and many species of fish.
Coral reefs are also linked ecologically to nearby seagrass, mangrove, and mudflat communities. One of the reasons that coral reefs are so highly valued is because they serve as a center of activity for marine life. Some soft corals have zooxanthellae to acquire food and energy, but others, such as black corals, exist without this symbiotic relationship.
For more than 30 years, Greg has been actively involved in the study of life history, ecology, and physiology of sharks. His shark research has spanned the globe from the frigid waters of the Arctic Circle to coral reefs in the tropical Central Pacific.
Much of his current research centers on the use of acoustic telemetry and satellite-based tagging technology to study the ecology and behavior of sharks. He has written dozens of scientific research papers and has appeared in a number of film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, and numerous television networks.
His most recent book, The Shark Handbook, is a must buy for all shark enthusiasts. Robert D. He served in the U. Navy for more than 30 years and continues to work with the Office of Naval Research. A pioneer in the development of deep-sea submersibles and remotely operated vehicle systems, he has taken part in more than deep-sea expeditions.
In , he discovered the RMS Titanic , and has succeeded in tracking down numerous other significant shipwrecks, including the German battleship Bismarck , the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the U. He is known for his research on the ecology and evolution of fauna in deep-ocean hydrothermal, seamount, canyon and deep trench systems. He has conducted more than 60 scientific expeditions in the Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Sunita L. Her research explores how the larvae of seafloor invertebrates such as anemones and sea stars disperse to isolated, island-like habitats, how larvae settle and colonize new sites, and how their communities change over time.
Kirstin also has ongoing projects in the Arctic and on coral reefs in Palau. Her work frequently takes her underwater using remotely operated vehicles and SCUBA and carries her to the far corners of the world. Know your Ocean: Did you know? Why corals are so colorful? Pillar corals Dendrogyra cylindrus from Curacao. Community of corals in Palua. Coral Many people think of coral as hard, rock-like formations that attract abundant, diverse marine life.
Read More. Dating Corals, Knowing the Ocean Coral is a useful tool for scientists who want to understand changes in past climate, but recalling….
What causes ocean waves? Find out more. How is beach sand created? Why do corals bleach? Does the ocean produce oxygen? We use cookies to analyze site usage and improve user experience. By continuing on this site, you consent to their use. Read our Privacy Policy for more info and to amend settings.
Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Down there, where blue light dominates, the green and red fluorescence of some corals makes them stand out from the bluish-grey background. Fluorescence can be best observed with the help of blue light torches and special filter masks under low light conditions.
Using this equipment, the glowing corals make a night dive a psychedelic adventure. Some corals increase the production of colourful protein pigments when they are exposed to more intense sunlight. Humans get a sun tan — corals become more colourful. We found the pink and purple proteins act as sunscreens for the corals by removing substantial light components that might otherwise become harmful to the algae hosted in their tissue.
Corals rely on these light-dependent miniature plants, the so-called zooxanthellae , since they provide a substantial amount of food. We have also explained why some corals accumulate exceptionally high amounts of colourful pigments in growing areas such as branch tips or near wounds. These areas contain essentially no symbiotic algae, so much of the light is reflected by the white coral skeleton instead of being used by the algae.
The resulting increased light intensities in the new parts of the coral represent a potential danger for the algal cells that need to colonise these areas. Hence, it seems the corals use a clever trick to help their symbionts. The higher light intensity switches on the genes that are responsible for the production of the sun-screening pigments.
You can make a big difference towards the conservation of our reefs by making this small change in sunscreen on your vacations. If you want to know more about why are corals colorful, take a look at our references below. Below are few links we have used as references, images we use are from wikipedia, wikicommon, Patrice Laborda, and Paul Cowell.
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