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Coral

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A colorful coral outcrop on Flynn Reef, part of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Coral

Corals are tiny sea animals that live together in big groups called colonies. When many corals work together, they can build huge structures called coral reefs. These reefs are important homes for many sea creatures and are found in warm, clear oceans around the world, like near the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

Each little coral animal, called a polyp, has tentacles and a mouth. They make a hard skeleton from calcium carbonate, which helps them stay standing. Corals can grow in two ways: by making copies of themselves or by releasing eggs and sperm to make new polyps.

Most corals get their food and energy from tiny plants called zooxanthellae that live inside their tissues. These plants use sunlight to make food through photosynthesis, which also gives corals their bright colors. Corals are found in many parts of the world, from warm tropical seas to deep, cold water near places like Scotland or off the coast of Washington state.

People have long wondered if corals were plants or animals. Ancient thinkers like Aristotle and Theophrastus described corals in different ways. It wasn’t until the 1700s that scientists used microscopes to show that corals are animals. Today, we know corals are animals that belong to a group called Cnidaria. They are part of two main sub-groups: Hexacorallia, which includes stony corals, and Octocorallia, which includes soft corals and blue coral.

Coral reefs are important for many sea creatures and for people, too. They help protect shorelines and are popular places for scuba diving and snorkeling. Many communities depend on reefs for food, income, and protection.

Images

A colorful coral named Montastraea cavernosa, found in ocean environments.
A scientific diagram showing the structure of coral soft tissue and its underlying skeleton.
A scientific illustration showing how coral builds its skeleton undersea.
A natural view of brain coral releasing spawn during its annual reproductive event in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
An educational illustration showing how corals interact with tiny microbes that live within them.
An illustration showing how tiny microbes live and interact inside coral animals, helping to keep reefs healthy.
Map showing locations of coral reefs around the world.
A close-up of Acropora cervicornis coral, showcasing its branching structure in underwater environments.
Illustration showing the anatomy of a coral polyp, helpful for learning about marine life and biology.
A natural view of stony corals spawning in the ocean, showcasing an important marine life event.
A close-up view of Orbicella annularis, a type of coral found in the ocean.
An illustration showing how corals and tiny ocean organisms are connected in the marine food web.

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Coral, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.