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Deepseawaters
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Reefs
Coral Reefs Research
Most corals are made up of
hundreds of thousands individual polyps like this one. Many
stony coral polyps range in size from one to three millimeters
in diameter. Anatomically simple organisms, much of the polyp's
body is taken up by a stomach filled with digestive filaments.
Open at only one end, the polyp takes in food and expels waste
through its mouth. A ring of tentacles surrounding the mouth
aids in capturing food, expelling waste and clearing away
debris. Most food is captured with the help of special stinging
cells called nematocysts which are inside the polyp' outer
tissues, which is called the epidermis. Calcium carbonate
is secreted by reef-building polyps and forms a protective
cup called a calyx within which the polyps sits. The base
of the calyx upon which the polyp sits is called the basal
plate. The walls surrounding the calyx are called the theca.
The coenosarc is a thin band of living tissue that connect
individual polyps to one another and help make it a colonial
organism.
Coral Reefs details are discussed
below,
 Zooxanthellae. What's That?
How Do Stony Corals Grow?
How Do Coral Reefs Form?
Where Are Reef Building Corals Found?
How Do Corals Reproduce?
Importance of Coral Reefs
Natural Threats to Coral Reefs
Anthropogenic Threats to Corals
Coral Diseases
Protecting Coral Reefs
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