The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count

Coral Biology

Coral Reef Biology

Corals are small animals (polyps) that are closely related to sea anemones and jellyfish.

Most corals create colonies, by growing a large rocky skeleton that we see as a solid coral rock. The soft bodied polyps live in the outer edge of this skeleton, on top of the empty skeletons of previous generations. Only the outer layer of a coral boulder is alive.