Article

On the Trail of DNA in the Ocean

DNA is everywhere—it can be found in hair, saliva, blood, bones, feces or even...

slideshow

Zooxanthellae and Coral Bleaching

Tiny plant-like organisms called zooxanthellae live in the tissues of many animals,...

Photo

Branching Red Algae

Under the microscope, you can peer inside the cells of this filamentous red algae....

Photo

Blue-spotted Stingray

The blue-spotted stingray (Taeniura lymma) doesn’t like to be covered in sand...

Photo

A School of Hawaiian Squirrelfish

Check out the eyes on these Hawaiian squirrelfish (Sargocentron xantherythrum)!...

Photo

Unhealthy Coral Reef, Kiritimi, Line Islands

Algae has overtaken this coral reef off heavily populated Kiritimati, or Christmas...

Photo

What Is Coral? A Coral Polyp and Zooxanthellae

What are corals? Corals themselves are animals. But tropical reef-building corals...

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Coral Reef on Gangga Island, Indonesia

Corals, sponges, and algae are the major components of most coral reef communities....

Article

Making a Mark on the Ocean Floor

Until very recently oceanography was a field dominated by men. A seafaring career,...

Photo

Encrusting Pink Algae and a Seastar

Like pink paint, crustose coralline algae covers the surface of the rock in a thin...

Personal Perspectives

Coralline Algae: The Unsung Architects of Coral Reefs

Stare at a tide pool and you will often see a crust of pink coating the bottom. No,...