A Few Facts About Corals That You Didn't Know Before

Just a little extra knowledge for your internal marine biologist.

1. Corals are acutally animals.

Via www2.eve.ucdavis.edu

They are a part of the phylum Cnidaria, among with jellyfish and anemones.

2. There are 2 types of corals: hard corals and soft corals

buzzfeed.com

Hard corals or scleractinian corals are reef-building corals which means that they have skeletons (almost similar to humans) made from calcium carbonate.

3. Soft corals are just as their name suggests...

Via myreef.org

They do not have a hard skeleton, just a body of tissue, polyp(s), and stomach(s). Like this leather coral here...

4. Scleractinian corals have zooxanthellae.

www2.estrellamountain.edu

Zooxanthellae are tiny dinoflagellates that live within a coral's tissue. These (sort of) algal cells are responsible for the coloration of corals. There are several different clades that can coexist in just one single coral host.

5. Zooxanthellae have important jobs.

buzzfeed.com

These photosynthetic organisms also convert light into energy for the coral in return for habitat and protection.

6. Now time for some seriousness...

When corals become stressed (caused by cyanide blasts, increase of temperatures, and/or increase of eutrophication) they abandon their zooxanthellae. This process is famously known as bleaching.

Before bleaching....

7.

buzzfeed.com

after bleaching....

8. Corals are bleaching and bleaching fast.

skepticalscience.com

74% of the world's corals are expected to bleach out by the year 2045 due to anthropogenic causes (e.g. increase of atmospheric CO2 emissions = ocean acidification, AND increase of sea surface temperatures)

9. Corals are very important.

buzzfeed.com

Coral reefs provide habitat for thousands of species. Like this crab here...

10. And lets not forget about the beloved clownfish...

buzzfeed.com

11. and the virbrant clams

buzzfeed.com

12. Basically, corals are majestic and beautiful animals.

buzzfeed.com

13. And without them our ocean would be less beautiful and less exciting.

buzzfeed.com

this goby agrees.

14. So lets take care of them and reduce anthroprogenic pollution.

buzzfeed.com

that way all corals may...