Alex Mustard / Synchronous spawning of a mountainous star coral (Montastraea faveolata) at night. East End, Grand 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...

Juergen Freund / Tiny reef crab on soft coral, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan coral with Featherstar / crinoid attached, 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 / Large round Brain coral (Platygyra lamellina) on coral reef, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan coral with crinoids / featherstars, Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Soft coral (Alcyonacea) in the shallow mangroves with diver, split level. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Whip coral (Gorgonaceae) Komodo NP, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Blue soft corals, Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

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

Juergen Freund / Colorful coral reef with soft corals (Alcyonacea) and fan corals (Gorgonacea). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent coral viewed under normal light, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, sequence 1/2

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent coral viewed under UV light, Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, sequence 2/2

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 Knobby leather coral (Sinularia) spawning at night, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Arafura Sea, Indonesia.

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 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 / 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...

Alex Mustard / Annual spawning of a massive Starlet coral (Siderastrea siderea) releasing a cloud of gametes at night in late summer, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Smooth starlet coral (Siderastrea sidera) close focus wide angle view of a massive colony. This photo is not digital manipulated, but taken with a fisheye lens placed very close to the coral with flas...

Alex Mustard / Golfball coral (Favia fragum) colony showing fluorescent green when photographed under blue light, at night, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Close focus wide angle view of a colony of Great star coral (Montastrea cavernosa). This photo is not digital manipulated, but taken with a fisheye lens placed very close to the coral with flashes aim...

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) poylps capturing a planktonic worm, photographed under blue light to excite the fluorescence. The coral polyps glow green and the worm glows orange. The coral pol...

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) close focus wide angle view. Photograph is not digital manipulated, but taken with a fisheye lens placed very close to the coral with flashes aimed to illuminate...

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastrea annularis) showing fluorescent green coloration when photographed under only blue light at night to excite the fluorescent pigments in the coral, East End, Grand Cayman,...

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastrea annularis) polyps of a large colony, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Mixed hard coral including finger coral (Porites porites) and soft corals growing on reef, Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) close focus wide angle view, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies, Caribbean Sea.

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Colpophyllia natans) probably suffering from white band disease, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. British West Indies, Caribbean Sea, January 2010.

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Colpophyllia natans) bleached, polyps have expelled their zooxanthellae symbiotic algae from their tissue, probably as a result of being stressed by a rise in sea temperature, East End,...

Alex Mustard / Great star coral (Montastrea cavernosa) male releasing clouds of sperm into the water column, during its synchronised annual spawning event, several hours after sunset in late summer, East End, Grand...

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastrea annularis) colony spawning at night in late summer, showing the start of synchronised release of bundles of eggs and sperm from the polyps of the coral, East End, Grand...

Alex Mustard / Star coral (Montastraea annularis) black searod (Plexaura homomalla) and finger coral (Porites porites) with a snorkeller exploring a shallow coral reef, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, Britis...

Alex Mustard / Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) spawning at night in late summer, showing the onset of the release of bundles of eggs and sperm, when most of the bundles are still set in the polyps and just a f...

Alex Mustard / Boulder star coral (Montastraea annularis) spawning at night in late summer, showing the synchronised release of bundles of eggs and sperm being released from the polyps of the coral, East End, Grand...

Alex Mustard / Brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) colony spawning at night in late summer, bundles of eggs and sperm slowly being released from the polyps, East End, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Ind...

Juergen Freund / People harvesting coral to make lime for betelnut chewing. These branching staghorn corals (Acropora) are amongst the fastest growing corals at about 10 cm/year. M'Buke Island, New Ireland, Papua New...

Juergen Freund / People drying coral to make lime for betelnut chewing. These branching staghorn corals (Acropora) are amongst the fastest growing corals at about 10 cm/year. New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, June 2010

Juergen Freund / Harvested coral used for making lime for betelnut chewing, ready for the drying and burning process. These branching stag-horn corals (Acropora) are amongst the fastest growing corals at about 10 cm/...

Juergen Freund / Bleached coral polyps, Papua New Guinea

Juergen Freund / Tree fern soft coral with extended polyps (Clavularia sp) Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Gorgonian fan and black tree coral (Tubastrea micrantha) on coral reef, Moluccas Islands, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Vast fields or colonies of Lettuce coral (Turbinaria sp) North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Leather coral (Lobophytum sp) on coral reef, Komodo NP, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Vast area of plate corals (Acropora sp) in the reef, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Fallen Acropora coral branching out and starting to grow horizontally again. Moluccas Islands, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Vast fields of Vase / tiered corals (Echinopora sp) with diver, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Plate coral (Acropora sp) growing in the reef, Komodo NP, Indonesia, Indo-pacific.

Juergen Freund / Red whip corals / sea whips (Ellisella sp) bending in the current, Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Juergen Freund / Fallen Acropora coral branching out and starting to grow horizontally again, Sulawesi, Indonesia, Indo-pacific.

Juergen Freund / Hard / stone coral (Porites sp) Moluccas Islands, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Soft coral (Dendronephthya sp) Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

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

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent tentacles of a soft coral with eight tentacles on each polyp, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Soft coral crab on soft coral (Dendronephthya) West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Coral (Symphyllia sp.). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January 2010.

Juergen Freund / Colourful Soft coral (Alcyonacea). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January.

Juergen Freund / Colourful Soft corals (Alcyonacea) surrounded by reef fish. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January.

Juergen Freund / Colourful Soft corals (Alcyonacea). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Colourful Soft corals (Alcyonacea). Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January.

Juergen Freund / Colourful Soft corals (Alcyonacea) with diver swimming in the background. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January 2010.

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Coral reef with a big boulder coral (Porites sp.) and diver. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January 2010.

Juergen Freund / Close up of fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Soft coral (Dendronephthya sp.) attached to a mangrove root, seen from below, with mangrove foliage visible through the water. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010.

Juergen Freund / Leather coral reflected in shallow water, North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Dried acropora / branching corals (Acropora) on the beach. This is collected and dried and fired to extract the lime for betel nut chewing. Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010.

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia,

Juergen Freund / Soft coral (Alcyonacea) in the shallow mangroves, split level. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Diver looking at Soft corals (Alceonacea) and reef fish in the reef. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, January 2010.

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Split level of large hard coral in coral reef in the shallows with house on stilts. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010.

Juergen Freund / Soft coral (Dendronephthya sp.) attached to a mangrove root. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010.

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia,

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia,

Juergen Freund / Close up of fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Close up of fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Yellow cup coral (Tubastraea faulkneri), which opens at night. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Split level of large hard coral in coral reef in the shallows. North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia, February 2010.

Juergen Freund / Bubble coral (Plerogyra sinuosa) with parasitic flatworms (Waminoa sp). Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent coral (Mycedium elephantotus) in normal light. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia

Juergen Freund / Fluorescent corals. Misool, Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia,

Juergen Freund / Bubble coral (Plerogyra sinuosa) on the reef. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.