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,...

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Dugong Feeding

Dugongs, along with manatees, make up a group of marine mammals called sirenians or...

Photo

Ancient Sea Cow Vertebra

A fossil vertebra that a Smithsonian researcher's mother found while prospecting in...

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Unhealthy Coral Reef, Kiritimi, Line Islands

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

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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....

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Encrusting Pink Algae and a Seastar

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

Article

The Whale Graveyard Whodunit

One of the ocean's tiniest organisms often does the most harm. Microscopic algae...

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,...

Photo

Pink Coralline Algae

Many species of pink coralline algae cover a reef surface in the Southern Line...

Personal Perspectives

Helpful Herbivores

When snorkeling in the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) in West...