Corals

Corals live in colonies formed by thousands of individual polyps. These polyps reproduce asexually and can create either hard or soft structures depending on the species. How do corals get their bright, beautiful colours? The algae present in the corals contain a pigment called chlorophyll which gives the coral its green or brown colour. They can even turn blue, violet and red as they adapt to different light conditions and water temperature.

ECO TIP

Coral reefs are endangered from a multitude of factors including hurricanes, coastal development, overfishing, destructive fishing techniques and pollution. To help save our coral species always practice responsible diving and snorkelling, choose reef-friendly sunscreen (some chemicals are toxic to coral), and always recycle your plastic waste.