Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) at night with polyps extended to feed, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Synchronous spawning of a mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) at night. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Sunset cup coral / Yellow cave coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti), on sponge covered rock face, Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, May

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastraea annularis) spawning at night with released bundles of eggs and sperm floating away in the water column, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Car...

Alex Mustard / A large colony of Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night on a coral reef, showing the synchronous release of bundles of eggs and sperm, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands...

Floris van Breugel / Staghorn corals (Acropora) on the coast of tropical island Ofu, one of the Manu'a islands, American Samoa. 2012.

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Polar shrimp (Lebbeus polaris) on live Lophelia (Lophelia pertusa) from Trondheimfjord, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Controlled conditions. Photo taken in cooperation with GEOMAR coldwater coral res...

David Shale / Solenosmilia sp and eunicid polychaete and bamboo coral. Collected from coral sea mount near Dragon vent field on SW Indian Ridge, Indian Ocean.

Alex Mustard / 2020VISION / Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia smithii) photographed under deep blue light to reveal its fluorescent pigments, showing up as green in this photo. Plymouth Sound, Devon, UK, English Channel, July

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) photographed under blue light to excite the fluorescence, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Secretary blenny (Acanthemblemaria maria) making a home in a deserved worm tube of a great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa), East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Se...

Todd Mintz / Sharknose cleaner goby (Gobiosoma evelynae) pair sheltering in hard coral, Netherlands Island, Dutch Antillies, Caribbean

Juergen Freund / Banded brittle star / Tiger stripe serpent star (Ophiolepis superba) on a hard coral, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Triplefin (Helcogramma sp) on a coral, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Bivalve mollusc lives in crevices in colonies of living hard corals. Only the the shell opening and mantle are visible, along with the minute eyes along its margin, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Hard corals showing bleaching caused by heat stress, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, May 2010.

Juergen Freund / Healthy coral reef in the shallows, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Orange cup coral (Tubastrea faulkneri) with polyps open, Batangas, Philippines.

Juergen Freund / Orange cup coral (Tubastrea faulkneri) detail of mouth and tentacles, Batangas, Philippines.

Juergen Freund / Blue sea star on massive Boulder coral (Gardineroseris planulata) North Sulawesi, Indonesia. This coral species is normally found from the Red Sea to Central America, and is relatively uncommon in the...

Juergen Freund / Coral reef landscape with abundant whip corals, Blue sea stars and hard coral, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 2009.

Juergen Freund / Large round Brain coral (Platygyra lamellina) on coral reef, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Large round Brain coral (Platygyra lamellina) on coral reef, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Coral reef with hard corals and cabbage coral, Komodo NP, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Diver swimming over massive boulder / Cauliflower coral (Gardineroseris planulata) Buyat Bay, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Massive boulder / Cauliflower coral (Gardineroseris planulata) with blue sea star, Buyat Bay, Sulawesi, Indonesia, Indo-pacific.

Juergen Freund / Bean shaped polyps of an Anchor coral (Euphyllia ancora), a large polyp stony (LPS) coral. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Hard brain coral (Platygyra sp) half covered with a pink algae, Moluccas Islands, Indo-pacific

Juergen Freund / Shoal of Blue chromis (Chromis viridis) amongst hard coral with Cloudy Damselfish (Dascyllus carneus) Sipadan, Malaysia.

Juergen Freund / Close up of the polyps of a Flowerpot coral (Goniopora sp.). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Georgette Douwma / Bleached coral {Acropora sp} caused by loss of algae with living purple polyps. Maldives.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zankl / Golden cup coral (Astroides calycularis) Malta, Mediteranean, May 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Zankl / Star coral (Astroides calycularis) Malta, Mediteranean, May 2009

Birgitte Wilms / Psychedelic Frogfish (Histiophryne psychedelica) discovered in 2008, lacks the typical lure and striped pattern mimicks hard corals, Indonesia

Peter Scoones / Bleached {Acropora sp} coral caused by loss of algae due to temperature change. Maldives.

Juergen Freund / Tube corals {Tubastrea faulkneri} with polyps open, Indo-Pacific

Doug Perrine / Star coral {Montastrea annularis} releasing bundles of sperm and eggs, Florida, USA.

Doug Perrine / Giant brain coral provides shelter for Grunts and Squirrelfish, Florida Keys, USA.

Fred Bavendam / Garden of Hard Corals just beneath the water's surface at Bunaken Island, Manado Tua Marine National Park, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Sunset with hard corals and small reef fish just beneath the water's surface at Bunaken Island, Manado Tua Marine National Park, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Garden of Hard Corals just beneath the water's surface at Bunaken Island, Manado Tua Marine National Park, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Fred Bavendam / Garden of Hard Corals just beneath the water's surface at Bunaken Island, Manado Tua Marine National Park, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Jeff Rotman / Close up of Brain coral {Diplora strigosa} Caribbean

Jose B. Ruiz / Hard coral {Leptogorgia sarmentosa} Mediterranean

Jose B. Ruiz / Hard coral {Leptogorgia sarmentosa} Mediterranean

Georgette Douwma / Hard coral polyps {Mycedium elephantotus} Borneo, Indonesia

Georgette Douwma / Hard coral polyps {Euphyllia ancora} Bunaken, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Constantinos Petrinos / Mushroom coral detail {Fungia fungites} Sulawesi Indonesia

Georgette Douwma / Jewel tip coral {Porites attenuata} Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Sunset cup coral / Yellow cave coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti), on sponge covered rock face, Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, May

Linda Pitkin / 2020VISION / Sunset cup coral / Yellow cave coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti), on sponge covered rock face, Lundy Island Marine Conservation Zone, Devon, England, UK, May

Alex Mustard / Colony of mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) bleached due to thermal stress, spawning at night, showing the synchronous release of bundles of eggs and sperm, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman...

Alex Mustard / A Boulder star coral (Montastraea annularis) bleached due to thermal stress, spawning at night, showing the synchronous release of bundles of eggs and sperm, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Br...

Alex Mustard / A colony of Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora damicornis) releasing gametes, Ras Mohammed Marine Reserve, Sinai, Egypt, Red Sea.

Alex Mustard / A Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night, with gamete bundles of being released from the coral polyps, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean...

Alex Mustard / A Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night, with a gamete bundle being released from a coral polyp, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / A Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night, with gamete bundles being released from the coral polyps, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea...

Alex Mustard / A Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night, with gamete bundle being released from a coral polyp, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / A Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Brit...

Alex Mustard / Two Ruby brittlestars (Ophioderma rubicundum) climbing a Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) as it spawns at night in order to feed on the coral eggs, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Isl...

Alex Mustard / A Ruby brittle star (Ophioderma rubicundum) feeding on the spawn from a Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa), East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastraea annularis) spawning at night, showing the very start of the the release of bundles of eggs and sperm, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Carib...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps within its grooves, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, B...

Alex Mustard / A Symmetrical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) preparing to spawn at night, showing the bundles of eggs and sperm within the polyps prior to their synchronous release, with a Triplefin (Helcogram...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) preparing to spawn at night, with one gamete bundle beginning to be released, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbea...

Alex Mustard / Two photos of a Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night, showing views before and during the release of the gamete bundles, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) preparing to spawn at night, with one gamete bundle beginning to be released, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbea...

Alex Mustard / Close-up of a Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) preparing to spawn, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies. Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Ruby brittle star (Ophioderma rubicundum) climbing on top of a mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) as it prepares to spawn at night, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Ind...

Alex Mustard / Ruby brittle star (Ophioderma rubicundum) climbing on top of a mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) as it prepares to spawn at night, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Ind...

Alex Mustard / Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night on a coral reef, showing the synchronous release of bundles of eggs and sperm, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Ind...

Alex Mustard / Two images of the same colony of Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning at night on a coral reef showing the bundles of eggs and sperm before and after the synchronous spawning releas...

Alex Mustard / A Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) spawning at night by releasing pink and white bundles of eggs and sperm from its polyps, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indie...

Alex Mustard / Three Ruby brittlestars (Ophioderma rubicundum) climbing a Symmeterical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) as it spawns at night in late summer. East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West...

Alex Mustard / Two photos taken one year apart of the same colony of Mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) spawning on both occasions, and recovering from bleaching due to thermal stress, East End, Grand Ca...

Georgette Douwma / Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora damicornis) spawning. Egypt, Red Sea.

Georgette Douwma / Coralline encrusting algae growing on dead coral patches on Porites, forming a hard calcaerous deposit. Encrusting algae plays an important role in the ecology of coral reefs providing a food source f...

Georgette Douwma / Coralline algae growing on dead coral patches on Porites, forming a hard calcaerous deposit. Encrusting algae plays an important role in the ecology of coral reefs, providing food for many tropical fi...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Lophelia (Lophelia pertusa) the most widespread reef-framework-forming cold-water coral which can form massive deep-sea coral reefs, from Trondheimfjord, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Controlled cond...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Lophelia (Lophelia pertusa) the most widespread reef-framework forming cold-water coral which can form massive deep-sea coral reefs, from Trondheimfjord, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Controlled cond...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Lophelia (Lophelia pertusa) the most widespread reef-framework-forming cold-water coral which can form massive deep-sea coral reefs, from Trondheimfjord, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Controlled condi...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Submersible JAGO surfacing with deepsea coral samples from Sula Reef off the coast of Norway. Chief Scientist Dr. Armi (left) from GEOMAR Kiel and pilot Jürgen Schuaer (right) September 2011, editori...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Coral (Madrepora oculata) in respiration chambers where scientists determine oxygen consumption using optical sensors, Norway, September 2011. Photo taken in cooperation with GEOMAR coldwater coral r...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Dr. Hennige (right) and Dr. Roberts (left) from Heriot-Watt University seal a respiration chamber to assess metabolism of cold water coral (Madrepora oculata), Norway, September 2011, editorial use on...

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / The cold water coral Madrepora oculata in respiration chambers ready for experimentation, Norway, September 2011. Photo taken in cooperation with GEOMAR coldwater coral research project

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Coral (Lophelia pertusa) from reef in Trondheimfjord, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Controlled conditions,. Photo taken in cooperation with GEOMAR coldwater coral research project

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / Coral (Lophelia pertusa) from reef in Trondheimfjord, North Atlantic Ocean, Norway. Photo taken in cooperation with GEOMAR coldwater coral research project

Solvin Zankl / GEOMAR / View of Coral Reef (Lophelia pertusa) with prominent gorgonian coral colonies (Paragorgia arborea) taken from German research submersible JAGO, Trondheimfjord, Norway, Atlantic Ocean, Norway . Photo...

Georgette Douwma / Table top coral (Acropora hyacinthus) formations on shallow reef top. Maldives, Indian Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Table top corals (Acropora hyacinthus) sun dapple on shallow reef top, Maldives, Indian Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Table top corals (Acropora hyacinthus) Maldives, Indian Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Table top corals (Acropora hyacinthus) sun dapple on shallow reef top, Maldives, Indian Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Table top corals (Acropora hyacinthus) sun dapple on shallow reef top, Maldives, Indian Ocean

Georgette Douwma / Table top corals (Acropora hyacinthus) sun dapple on shallow reef top, Maldives, Indian Ocean