video

Connecting Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are some of the most endangered ecosystems on the planet that are home...

overview

Deep-sea Corals

It may be the last place you’d expect to find corals—up to 6,000 m (20,000 ft)...

slideshow

Marine World Heritage Photo Gallery

Marine World Heritage is a prestigious list of 43 marine ecosystems and...

slideshow

Zooxanthellae and Coral Bleaching

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

Photo

Sparkling Sponge Spicules

These sparkling sponge spicules are microscopic needle-like structures that many...

Photo

Soft Coral Close-Up

These neon balloons weren't blown up for a party: they are the colorful tentacles...

Photo

Treated Cancer Cells

These cancer cells have been treated with discodermolide, a chemical obtained from...

Photo

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....

Article

The Reefs of American Samoa: A Story of Hope

Sometimes called the rainforests of the sea, coral reefs are incredibly diverse and...

Photo

Encrusting Pink Algae and a Seastar

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