Research has found that when their symbiotic algae are not producing oxygen via photosynthesis, corals twirl hairlike structures to circulate water and draw oxygen into their outer tissues.

Coral reefs get their colors from zooxanthellae—photosynthetic algae that line corals' digestive tracts and provide them with sugars in exchange for a home within this protective tissue.

Some corals absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation and re-emit it as visible light, thereby protecting symbiotic algae within their tissues and providing them with energy for photosynthesis.

During coral bleaching, corals sacrifice their food source and expel colorful microorganisms to protect themselves, a phenomenon that resembles an organism's immune system attacking itself.

Coral reefs are built by thousands of coral polyps—tiny animals whose mouths both consume food and expel waste.

As immobile animals, corals and the organisms that live on them have evolved a suite of chemical compounds to prevent disease and ward off predators they cannot outrun.

Deep water corals—located throughout the world's ocean basins at depths beyond 200 meters (660 feet)—slowly build small coral gardens in the dark with the help of underwater worms.

Over 1 million fish, marine mammals, and invertebrate species depend on coral reefs for habitats, camouflage, and food.

A simple infographic explaining how coral bleaching works

When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white.

Can coral live in cold water?

Dive deep beyond the sunlit coral reefs, and you'll discover a world of deep-sea corals. This article from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explores the ecosystems of deep-sea corals found way below the water's surface....

Through coral IVF, researchers have collected coral eggs and sperm from healthy reefs, grown baby corals in lab pools, and then released them to help repopulate damaged or lost reefs.

Climate change threatens coral reefs by disrupting the symbiotic relationship between corals and algae due to rising ocean temperatures.

Stony corals form a type of calcium carbonate called aragonite from ions brought to the ocean by rivers that have broken down terrestrial rocks.

Coral polyps reproduce via broadcast spawning, where entire reefs simultaneously release reproductive cells for about one hour, once a year.

An analysis of fossilized reefs from northern Africa and Germany suggests that shallow water corals and photosynthetic algae formed the mutualistic partnership seen today between 419 and 359 million years ago.

The first coral reefs formed hundreds of millions of years ago from the carbonate skeletons deposited by hard corals.

Massive blooms of microscopic algae called dinoflagellates produce the neon blue light seen in glowing tides.

Oxygen and nutrients are circulated in tardigrade bodies through physical movement

Rather than having a circulatory system, oxygen is directly absorbed through their skin and spreads through a fluid called hemolymph as tardigrades crawl. When molting to grow, they shed their outer skin and stylets—sharp mouth parts used to pierce prey—which are regrown in their salivary glands.

Watch a time-lapse of staghorn coral polyps—a type of hard coral—over several weeks in an aquarium, slowly forming the foundational component of a coral reef.

Watch underwater photosynthesis make water look like champagne

In shallow waters where sunlight can reach, photosynthetic reactions absorb water and dissolved carbon dioxide, producing bubbles of oxygen at the surface of plants. As these bubbles rise to the water's surface, a fizzy appearance is created.

Starting with red, colorful objects will appear to lose their colors the deeper they are submerged because water scatters light, reducing the amount available to reflect off objects and be observed.

Synthetic pheromones may protect coral reefs by attracting their predators

Researchers in Australia and Japan have developed these nontoxic chemicals to attract crown-of-thorns starfish, which consume corals that make up the Great Barrier Reef. As of 2026, synthetic pheromones have been shown to be effective in lab trials, and future field trials will attempt to lure starfish into areas for mass removal.

Harmful algal blooms can occur in warm, nutrient-rich, stagnant waters and are often associated with the rapid reproduction of blue-green algae—a misnomer for cyanobacteria, not algae.

The first appearance of bioluminescence was at least 540 million years ago

After analyzing fossils, genetic data, and statistical methods, scientists believe octocorals were the first organisms to evolve light-producing abilities. As a result of independent evolution across at least 94 species, this phenomenon is connected to a diverse range of behaviors.

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

Inside Australia's National Sea Simulator, scientists are cross-breeding coral species and using CRISPR to genetically engineer heat-resistant corals to withstand warming reefs worldwide.

Because it is observed in organisms that are not closely related, biofluorescence is thought to have emerged independently many times in nature—over 100 in fish alone.

The ocean's ability to store carbon long-term is being hindered by marine heatwaves

More than 4,000 robotic floats with biogeochemical data sensors, including oxygen, pH, nitrate, suspended particles, chlorophyll, temperature, and conductivity, have been deployed as part of the Global Ocean Biogeochemical Array. They have identified changes to ecosystem structure affecting the ocean's ability to transport carbon from surface waters into the deep.

Artificial coral reefs have been 3D printed from nontoxic, biodegradable terracotta clay, which coral polyps have used as a foundation for rebuilding marine ecosystems.

Since the Industrial Revolution, surface ocean waters have become 30% more acidic due to the absorption of carbon dioxide.

Sea stars are invertebrates—they lack a backbone—and while most exhibit pentametric radial symmetry due to having five arms radiating from a central disk, some can possess more than 40.

Some algae have helped remove microplastics from water after being bioengineered to clump together with these contaminants, forming an easily collectible microplastic-algae sludge.

The cells of spotted salamander embryos and early-stage larvae harbor algae that support embryonic development by increasing oxygen levels and removing waste.

The world's largest species of marine algae is giant kelp, which can grow as much as two feet per day from depths of about 100 feet up to the ocean surface.

Scientists have collected critical minerals from ocean water using seaweed, a type of algae that leaves behind a mineral-rich powder called bio-ore after being processed into biofuels.

Swimming in schools helps some fish conserve energy in turbulent flows

Scientists studying groups of giant danios swimming in turbulent waters found that the fish used up to 79% less energy than they did when swimming individually in the same conditions. The same fish were found to use the same amount of energy in turbulent and calm water when in schools.

Why are coral reefs important?

Coral reefs are vital ecosystems that millions of people and countless species depend on. This two-minute video from London's Natural History Museum looks at the ecological and economic significance of coral reefs, including their biodiversity and...

Despite being multicellular and photosynthetic, organisms such as kelp and sea moss are macroalgae, not plants, because they lack specialized roots and stems to pump water.

Meet siphonophores, breathtaking jellyfish-like organisms

Siphonophores are colonial jelly-like creatures made up of specialized segments that work together as one. They're fairly unknown despite being a significant sea predator. Sink into their strange beauty with this video.

The warmest waters in the ocean are found at hydrothermal vents—hot springs on the seafloor that discharge plumes of mineral-rich water.

Instead of consuming water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and sugar, anoxygenic photosynthesis involves alternative reactants and products.

Pearls form when a saltwater oyster or a freshwater mussel coats a parasite or other irritant that has entered its shell with concentric layers of calcium carbonate and organic protein.

Biofluorescent animals—those that absorb light, such as ultraviolet rays, and re-emit other types of light, such as neon green—include some flying squirrels, scorpions, sea turtles, and platypuses.

Scientists have found that the Great Barrier Reef's microbiome includes an estimated 362,802 distinct viruses and 876 distinct bacterial and archaeal species—584 of which had never been documented before 2026.

To prevent floating away from others while sleeping, sea otters may wrap themselves in kelp or hold paws, using physical contact to form groups known as 'rafts.'

Why 75% of ocean animals glow

About 75% of ocean creatures can make their own light. It's called bioluminescence—and it all comes down to a special chemical reaction happening inside their bodies.

About 76% of global coral species are found in the Coral Triangle—a region spanning the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

Some marine life can survive the extreme pressure of the deep ocean because of specialized molecules that strengthen proteins, enzymes, and cellular membranes.

View colorful flowers that grow on cacti and succulents, popular xerophilic organisms

These dry-loving organisms are able to retain the water they need to grow and reproduce in deserts and arid grasslands through a suite of adaptations, including thick, fleshy stems that store abundant water, a waxy coating that helps prevent water loss, and an uncommon form of photosynthesis that loses less water.

Explore a map of coral reefs around the world and the extent of coral bleaching.

The three types of coral reefs—fringing, barrier, and atoll—are categorized by where they form.