Coral Reefs Are Created By Small Creatures That Host A Small Plant That They Feed Off Of... Coral facts after the credits: This is a #repost from @action4ifaw via @PhotoAroundApp Do you REALLY understand coral? People are often surprised to learn that coral is an animal – thousands of animals actually! Coral is made up of polyps, tiny invertebrate animals with stinging tentacles related to sea anemones. The polyps use calcium and carbonate ions to build tough limestone exteriors. Over time, they colonize together to form the beautiful coral reef structures that provide homes to diverse sea life! 🌊🐠🦀🌿🌞🐚 Coral reefs wouldn’t be able to function without their mutualistic relationship with the photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae. Inside each individual coral polyp lives millions of zooxanthellae who provide nutrients to the polyp in return for protection. Zooxanthellae produce the chlorophyll that reacts with sunlight to give the coral reefs their beautiful color! #CoralFacts #Coral101 #CoralReef #CoralReefs #UnderstandingCoral #CoralVideo