Why Are Corals So Colourful? The Amazing Science Behind Their Bright Hues
A coral reef can look like an underwater rainbow Brilliant fish dart between corals glowing in shades of red pink purple and green But beneath those striking colours lies a fascinating partnership between tiny animals and microscopic algae Corals are living animals made up of tiny creatures called coral polyps These polyps build the hard skeleton that forms the familiar structure of a coral The skeleton itself is ghostly white So where does the colour come from The answer begins with tiny algae living inside the coral s tissues Tiny Algae Big ContributionKnown as zooxanthellae these single-celled algae have a remarkable relationship with coral Using sunlight they carry out photosynthesis and produce sugars The algae use some of these sugars themselves while much of the remaining food up to percent can be passed on to the coral In return the coral provides the algae with a protected place to live
