“Coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.” Corals are marine invertebrates that live in communities of hundreds to thousands of identical, individual soft-bodied polyps. Each ...

Coral reefs are made up of colonies of hundreds to thousands of tiny individual corals, called polyps. These marine invertebrate animals have hard exoskeletons made of calcium carbonate, and are ...

In the reef-building "hard corals", the polyps sit in a carbonate coral skeleton, which over time builds the fabric of the reef. Coral reefs are like cities under the sea. The structure of the ...

Rising acidity reduces the rate at which reefs develop. Crucial to coral health are colorful algae called zooxanthellae. These algae live in coral polyps, providing coral with its bright color.

Our Planet, the incredible new documentary series narrated by Sir David Attenborough, explores the beauty of life on Earth and highlights the threats that we pose to it. In the coastal seas episode, ...

An individual coral is a polyp. It’s a very small and simple ... On average they grow between 0.5 and 2cm per year. The reefs we see today have been growing over the past 5,000 to 10,000 years.

Scientists race to protect coral polyps — and the fragile ecosystems they host — from becoming deep-sea ghost towns. Laura Boast Vividly coloured coral reefs are a beautiful backdrop in ...

But even as many corals die, reefs won’t exactly disappear. The 3D formation of a typical reef is made of hard corals, such as brain corals, which comprise colonies of polyps that produce ...