Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
They might look like plants growing on the ocean floor, but corals are actually a type of marine animal with a fascinating lifecycle.
Most types of corals only spawn once a year in a mass breeding phenomenon. These corals release trillions of eggs and sperm into the water which fertilise to form embryos and develop further into free-swimming larvae. These baby corals will eventually sink and find a place to settle on the ocean floor. It is here that metamorphosis begins and the settled corals grow to adulthood.
Each stage of the coral development has its own, unique set of challenges that can impact the coral’s survival. That’s why we’re developing solutions to improve the health and survival of corals. Learn how we’re nurturing and planting corals to restore damaged reefs.
Credit 🎥: Brett Lewis, Tourism and Events Queensland, Australian Institute of Marine Science, CSIRO, Biopixel, Johnny Gaskell, Revolution Productions, Calypso Productions.
They might look like plants growing on the ocean floor, but corals are actually a type of marine animal with a fascinating lifecycle.
Most types of corals only spawn once a year in a mass breeding phenomenon. These corals release trillions of eggs and sperm into the water which fertilise to form embryos and develop further into free-swimming larvae. These baby corals will eventually sink and find a place to settle on the ocean floor. It is here that metamorphosis begins and the settled corals grow to adulthood.
Each stage of the coral development has its own, unique set of challenges that can impact the coral’s survival. That’s why we’re developing solutions to improve the health and survival of corals. Learn how we’re nurturing and planting corals to restore damaged reefs.
Credit 🎥: Brett Lewis, Tourism and Events Queensland, Australian Institute of Marine Science, CSIRO, Biopixel, Johnny Gaskell, Revolution Productions, Calypso Productions.
