Porites divaricata Porites divaricata is the smallest species of Porites in the Caribbean. Colonies grow into small branched clusters and can be found in a range of habitats and colors. When we first spotted this species we were surprised to…
Caribbean Coral Diaries: Porites colonensis
Porites colonensis Porites is one of the most abundant coral in the Caribbean with six described species. Porites colonensis, however, is one of the more elusive of the bunch and you will need a keen eye to identify this unusual species.…
Caribbean Coral Diaries: Porites furcata
Porites furcata Porites furcata wasn’t a coral we paid much attention to until we came diving in Honduras. On it’s own a few lone branches of P. furcata (Branching Finger Coral) blends right into the reef. But once you see rolling…
Caribbean Coral Diaries – Porites astreoides
The Coral Diaries series is a list of corals we have seen while diving around the world. We’ve created this series so that you can learn more about corals, and how to identify them on the reef. We encourage you…
How to Care for SPS Corals
SPS corals are mesmerizing animals that we easily become addicted to. The pursuit to constantly challenge our reefkeeping abilities keeps us wanting a more difficult SPS coral. We love the unique growth of SPS corals, their colors, and the fact that they are fairly…
Coral mucus impacts microbes in waters surrounding them
Have you ever noticed your corals covered in mucus and wondered, what’s up with the slime? New research suggests that corals selectively remove and promote the growth of diverse picoplankton (planktonic bacteria and archaea) communities living in coral mucus, and that…
Using the world’s most powerful Xray laser to look deep inside corals
Corals are amazing living animals which are continually building up new layers right on top of their endoskeleton. By examining a cross section of a coral skeletons, these layers or “growth-bands” can reveal clues about the coral’s past. Much like…
Christmas tree worms and feather dusters of the suborder Sabellida
Sabellida is a suborder of annelid worms in the class Polychaeta. These tube dwelling worms are filter feeders and are commonly identified by a ring of feathery tentacles extending outwards. Members of the suborder include the feather duster worms (Sabellastarte…
The Phoenix Effect gives us reason to be hopeful about wild corals
On any given day it is easy to come across news of how the ocean is in danger, coral reefs are dying, and the sky is generally falling in regards to the outlook for corals on this planet. That is…
Coral rolloliths can occur in really unexpected species
We tend to think of most corals as being stationary, one-sided colonies of creatures but in some habitats, an abundance of corals occur as living tumbleweeds. When colonial corals occur as unattached rolling living rocks they are called ‘rolloliths’ – while…
